Bus Attendant Accused Of Striking Child 9 Times With Belt, Say Police

POLK COUNTY, FL — A Polk County school bus attendant has been charged with one count of felony child abuse after being accused of using a belt to hit an 11 year-old child, said Winter Haven police.

On Nov. 17, the child's grandmother filed a report with the school district after learning of the incident involving the attendant, 33-year-old Loni Covington of Bartow.

The grandmother has custody of her three grandchildren who all ride the same bus to school. When the children returned home on Nov. 14, the 11-year-old child told his grandmother that the bus attendant flicked him on the ear and neck while on the bus.

Then on Nov. 15, after getting off the school bus, the grandchildren reported that "Miss Loni" struck the 11-year-old boy on his side with a belt. The grandmother took photos of belt marks on the child's side and back and gave them to Polk County School Transportation.

The following day when the kids got off the bus, one of the other grandchildren told the grandmother that "Miss Loni" had grabbed her by the wrists and snatched a picture out of her hand. The other grandchildren confirmed her story.

The children also said the attendant would make all three children sit on the same seat on the bus that is designed to only hold two children. When the bus would make a turn or stop, the child sitting next to the aisle would always fall off the edge of the seat, they told their grandmother

The school district reported the incidents to the Winter Haven police, which opened an investigation.

Child protection investigators said they learned that on Nov. 15, the 11-year-old was standing up while the bus was moving. Covington saw the child standing and told another student to take off her belt. According to investigators, Covington folded the belt and struck the child with the belt while sitting on top of him.

On Feb. 28, investigators interviewed Covington who said she saw the child standing up and told him to sit down. She said he talked back to her so she told another child on the bus to give her the belt. She told police that she struck the floor and the back of the seat with the belt. She said she didn't recall striking the child.

However, investigators said surveillance video taken on the bus that day show the belt made contact with the child nine times, according to the police report.

"This is unacceptable behavior for anyone who works with children," said Polk County Schools in a statement. "We appreciate the Winter Haven Police Department for conducting a thorough investigation and helping us protect our students."