Polk School Bus Attendant Accused Of More Abuse

LAKELAND, FL — Additional abuse charges have been filed against a Polk County school bus attendant who had already been accused of abusing three disabled children and three disabled adults.

Forty-three-year-old Juanita Tappin was charged Wednesday with one new count of child abuse and one new count of abuse of a disabled adult after investigators reviewed 30 days of bus surveillance videos.

"We were hoping that we wouldn't see any more abuse when we went back and reviewed a month's worth of bus video, but we knew in our guts that we probably would," explained Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

Tappin allegedly could be seen on the videos striking a disabled adult on the face with her hand while allegedly striking a special needs child on his head with a plastic bottle and the metal end of a seatbelt.

"There are no words to describe how sickened we are to see this woman prey upon these helpless, most innocent of victims."

In addition to the possible new victims, investigators said they also found video evidence of Tappin allegedly striking two of the previously identified victims at other times during the month of April.

Tappin was already facing three counts of child abuse and three counts of abuse of a disabled adult stemming from a May 7 bus video, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Most of the bus riders are non-verbal and unable to speak about the abuse.

The agency's Carrie Horstman previously said the alleged abuse occurred while the victims were riding the bus to school.

"The investigation began after a special needs child who rides the bus to Doris A. Sanders Learning Center reported to school staff that she had been hit by her bus attendant," Horstman explained at the time of the initial charges on May 9. "The school nurse documented two red welts on the victim's face."

Horstman said Tappin initially denied hitting the students and described her interactions as "playful." Horstman said the incidents did not appear to be disciplinary in nature.

"All of the abuse was intentional, malicious and unprovoked," Horstman said earlier.

Polk County Public Schools placed Tappin on paid administrative leave from her $13,856-a-year position. She has been with the school district since January of 2014 with no record of past disciplinary action in her personnel file, according to school officials.

"We count on our transportation staff to be courteous, professional and caring," said district Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd at the time of Tappin's initial arrest.

Tappin was being booked into the Polk County Jail on the new charges, where she will await her first court appearance scheduled to take place on Thursday.

Tappin was suspended without pay on May 15 and is up for termination at the school board's June 18 meeting.

The sheriff's office has declined to released the bus videos on grounds that they would identify abuse victims.