Video Shows Wheelchair-Bound Teen Being Thrown To Floor On School Bus

Disturbing surveillance video depicts the moment that a wheelchair-bound teen girl who cannot speak or walk was thrown from her chair on a school bus and left unattended for more than 3 minutes as she bled on the ground. The family of the special needs 17-year-old, Jonay Owens, is reportedly seeking $14 million in damages from the Fulton County School District in Atlanta, Georgia to which the bus belonged.

The September incident occurred after the school bus took a turn and Owens’ chair tipped over. According to representatives of Owens and her mother April Moore, the chair was improperly secured and therefore posed a danger to the teen, who was being transported home from Creekside High School, WLTX reported Thursday. The video was released July 24 on Facebook by Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, which represents the family.

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“From the beginning of the bus ride, you will see Jonay’s wheelchair was not properly locked and secured which subsequently lead to her wheelchair flipping, pinning Jonay helplessly against another student’s seat,” the post read. “After the wheelchair turned over, you will see the total disregard from the bus driver and the bus aide, who is sitting in the back right corner of the bus, fail to render assistance until the bus stops at Jonay’s home.

It continued, “It’s shocking the bus driver either did not check her mirror for minutes with children onboard or saw the incident and did nothing. It’s equally as shocking the bus aide, who clearly sees Jonay on the ground, ignores her. On top of that, the driver nor the aide reported the incident to Mrs. Moore. All they did was let Jonay’s caregiver, who was waiting outside the bus, know there was a minor incident with no further explanation.”

The law firm noted in its post that the family hopes to raise awareness about the potential dangers of “what can happen to your child while they are away at school.”

Owens went unaided on the floor for well over 3 minutes until the bus driver stopped to drop Owens off at her home, CNN reported last month. The bus aide only then appeared to register that the teen had fallen and was bleeding before wiping her head and wheeling her off the bus. CNN reported that a caregiver for the teen was told there was “a minor accident.”

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Quoted in the same post on Facebook, the girl’s mother said, “When I saw the video, I broke down in tears knowing my baby needed me and I wasn’t there. And for them to just sit and do nothing…hurts my heart. Parents, please be aware of your child’s teachers, bus driver, and other school staff because this could have been your child.”

Merritt & Merritt Law Firm noted that a lawsuit is pending in the Superior Court of Fulton County. A representative for Creekside High School declined to comment for this piece, citing ongoing litigation.