Littleton Public School bus aide fired after Colorado students with autism “tortured and traumatized”

Broken bones, a broken tooth, deep bruises and immeasurable heartache. These are just some of the injuries suffered by at least three autistic students allegedly inflicted by a Littleton Public Schools paraprofessional assigned to care for them.

Children take a dedicated bus provided by the LPS transportation system to one of Colorado’s most renowned private schools for students with autism: the Joshua School. Yet, as some parents discovered and told CBS News Colorado, that bus was a place of torture.

“They took my trust and spit on it,” Devin, the father of 10-year-old Dax, said at a news conference, holding back tears as he described what happened to his son.

The families asked that their last names be withheld, but Dax’s parents wanted their son’s video made public — without blurring or redacting. Dax is non-verbal, so his facial reactions and body language speak for him, his parents said.

“It was a difficult decision to make to find out, but we can’t bring attention to this if we don’t look into it,” said Dax’s mother Jess. “It’s ugly to watch, but it’s important to see how confused and scared he was in that video. It just speaks to his vulnerability and the terror he had to endure on that bus.”

This video was shared Tuesday morning, showing Dax on that LPS bus sitting next to paraprofessional Kiarra Jones. It was recorded on March 18 and shows Jones, 28, physically abusing the 10-year-old boy – repeatedly elbowing him in the stomach, slapping him in the face and stomping on his feet.

“How could someone I trusted, someone I was so friendly with, do this to my little boy?” » said Jess in tears. “The torture and torment of my sweet boy could have been stopped.”

Jess said she noticed strange bumps and bruises on her son months ago, dating back to September 2023. She raised her concerns with staff at Joshua School, who confirmed with her that Dax had not not suffered these injuries while in their custody. Jess said she then raised her concerns with LPS, but they told her there was nothing to worry about. Then, Jess said, her son’s injuries worsened and she demanded answers from the district.

“I notified LPS on March 18 and on March 19 I received a phone call from Littleton police informing me that an LPS employee had seriously abused my child,” she said. “I went to the LPS transportation building and I was in complete shock.”

The video made her sick, she said, and that stomach churning intensified when police said other children had also been abused, allegedly by Jones as well.

“My son doesn’t have the ability to tell me when someone is hurting him,” said the father of another child. “My son doesn’t have the capacity to tell me that he was forced to watch someone hurt his friends.”

Now, the parents of three young students are ready to take the school district to court. They say LPS knew about their abuse issues for months and apparently turned a blind eye.

“They had everything they needed to stop this faster and they didn’t,” said attorney Ed C. Hopkins, of the Rathod Mohamedbhai Law Firm. “They were warned and they ignored it. These children were traumatized and tortured because they did not live up to their expectations.

According to Jess, failure is clearly evident in the alarming video she wants to show the world.

“While it’s difficult to watch, this is what my child endured for months because of the inaction of Littleton Public Schools,” she said. “He must have experienced this every day. The least we can do is raise awareness about a situation that is unfortunately more common than we think. Change is needed.”

LPS declined multiple interview requests but shared a letter in which a district spokesperson said that the superintendent sent an email to LPS parents on April 5. It says an internal investigation began on March 19, Jones was fired and police were notified.

“This kind of behavior cannot and is not tolerated,” the letter read. “As parents, you entrust us with the well-being of your children and you should never have to worry that they will come to harm while in our care.”

The letter also claims Jones was hired in August 2023 “after satisfactory reference checks and following a background check.” Jones was arrested on April 4 after the incident was reported to the Englewood Police Department by Littleton police on March 28. She was released from the Arapahoe County Jail on $5,000 bond on April 5.

Jones is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in Arapahoe County Court on May 3 at 1:30 p.m. on charges of Crimes Against Juveniles at Risk – Third Degree Assault and Crimes Against Juveniles at Risk – Injury.