Colorado: Ex-school bus driver faces charges for slapping a child over mask dispute

A former bus driver in a Colorado-based school, who has been identified as Bertram Jaquez, will be slammed with criminal charges for striking a 10-year-old girl for not wearing her face mask in a proper manner. The incident was also caught on video, according to US media reports.

Jaquez, who reportedly resigned from his job as the school’s bus driver, will be facing charges relating to assault causing injury, child abuse and harassment, according to reports from USA Today.

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The incident occurred in April and was caught on videotape obtained by KKTV Colorado Springs. The video shows Jauqez slapping the student, who had her mask down, after briefly talking to her.

The former bus driver said that he took the step “out of reaction” and later admitted that he slapped the 10-year-old once.

The student, who gave a statement to the authorities, said that other students on the bus urged her to pull up her mask before the incident. However, she argued that face masks make her sick, reported USA Today.

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In a statement, the school district said that it was an “unfortunate situation” and added that the driver’s actions qualified for required grounds to remove him from the position.

The statement read, “We have had a bus driver strike a child over the child not wearing a mask on the bus. We believe it is never okay to lay a hand on a child”, reported USA Today.