An irate South Carolina father is being accused of running a school bus with 19 student passengers off the road after authorities say his child was allegedly assaulted by a school bus monitor.
The Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office released a statement on May 23 confirming that two individuals had been charged in connection with a physical altercation involving a student on a school bus the day before.
According to the statement, allegations were brought forward from statements obtained by the Marlboro County School District officials from students on the bus, indicating that bus monitor Sharona Ford Cooper had physically assaulted a student after the student refused to remain seated in assigned seating.
Authorities added that Cooper was \charged with third-degree assault after utilizing her arm to restrain the student from moving down the school bus aisle, as depicted in the video from the school bus monitoring system obtained by law enforcement.
Police stated that shortly after the incident, Anthony Chavis, the father of the student, arrived at the school and became verbally abusive toward administrators and law enforcement staff, using profanity, racial slurs and physical intimidation.
Chavis’ children had been removed from the school bus and left on the school grounds. Once the school bus departed and continued its route to transport 19 other students home, Chavis followed the school bus in his vehicle with his five children as passengers and then forced the bus off the road. He exited his vehicle and struck the bus numerous times with his fist in an unsuccessful effort to gain entry, causing damage to the door.
According to authorities, as the school bus driver continued the route,circumventing Chavis’s car, the father threw an object at the back of the bus and damaged the window. The incident was captured on the school bus video.
Chief Deputy Larry Turner said Chavis was charged with interfering with operations of a school bus, child endangerment, threatening the life of a public official, aggravated breach of peace, malicious injury to government property, and disruption of a school. He was taken into custody and was denied bond, as he was already out on bond for an assault charge at the time of this arrest.
The investigation is ongoing.
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