HOUSTON, Texas – Community activists Quannell X and Dr. Candace Matthews, with the Rainbow Push Coalition, are calling for change and accountability after they say a 6-year-old Aline ISD student was sexually assaulted on the back of a district school bus on Feb. 1 by an older male student who attends a different school.
The graphic incident was caught on the bus’s camera.
“They came to this bus barn and investigators retrieved additional video that goes back for months that shows this mother’s son being sodomized and molested by older boys,” said Quannell X. “We demand the immediate resignation of the supervisors of this bus barn. We demand the resignation of the principal.”
Quannell X said he fears there may be more victims and perpetrators involved.
The child’s mother first spoke to KPRC2 on Friday. The woman, who KPRC2 is not naming to protect her child’s identity, said she was unaware the sexual assault was taking place, but she did notice changes in her son’s behavior a few months back.
“The changes were some homosexual behaviors,” she said. “The changes were the school making accusations about different things, and here I am taking away television privileges, cell phone privileges, things of that nature, not knowing my child was just reliving and crying out for help.”
Dr. Whitney Crowson is a clinical child psychologist with the Children’s Assessment Center and said parents should keep an eye out for significant changes in their children ‘s behavior. She said parents should also talk to their kids about not keeping secrets.
“Just really encouraging communication, and supporting the child is what we can do the best to understand those signs and manifest and have them be articulated to us,” Crowson said.
The victim’s mother is calling for the firing of the bus driver, for monitors on the back of buses, and for the perpetrator to be disciplined.
Aldine ISD issued the following updated statement:
“The safety of our students continues to be the top priority for Aldine ISD and we are committed to providing a safe environment in the classroom as well as when being transported to and from school. Campus leaders consistently work to monitor student behavior and communicate with parents to resolve concerns when incidents occur. An investigation by Aldine ISD PD and district officials immediately began on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 23 after district administration became aware that an incident occurred on a district bus involving two of our elementary-age students. CPS was notified. Once the investigation has concluded, appropriate action will be taken based on the investigation findings. Because this is an active investigation, and due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), we are unable to provide additional details to protect the privacy of student information.”