(WKYT) – A student’s former school bus driver appeared in court facing misdemeanor charges after grandparents say security video showed him grabbing their 10-year-old grandson by the collar.
Danny Hamm was charged May 1 with two misdemeanors: harassment and fourth-degree assault.
Janet and Anthony Rutherford say their grandson, Kingston, got off the bus shaking on April 20 after Hamm grabbed him by the collar. The Rutherfords say they met with school officials and law enforcement to watch security video of the incident.
“He jerked Kingston up by his shirt from the back and that left the mark around his neck,” Janet Rutherford said.
She says the video showed Kingston put his head between his legs and cry after the incident.
“I asked him why he did that. He didn’t want to cry in front of his friends cause it hurt,” she said.
The charges came after Janet Rutherford filed a complaint with the Rockcastle County District Court.
“I want jail time for him,” she said. “If he’s putting his hands on one kid, how many other kids has he done it to?”Anthony added.
Rutherford says she is losing trust in the school system but hopes the incident shows parents the importance of having daily conversations with their children about school.
“Let them know to come to you with anything, not only on the bus even in school, cause you know this could be going on and they’re not saying anything,” she said.
WKYT reached out to Rockcastle County Schools for comment, but they told us they cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.