The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:23 PM

Five-Year Old Has Mouth Duct Taped By Bus Driver Who Was Fired By Knox County Schools

KNOXVILLE - (SOURCE: WVLT) - The parents of five-year-old Johnathon Galan said their son had a hard time telling them what happened on his bus ride home Wednesday.

"He said 'my mouth hurts real bad from where the bus guy put duct tape on my mouth,' blue duct tape, and I lost it" said Johnathon's mom, Jessica Gutierrez.

Johnathon ended up telling his mom that his bus driver had put duct tape on his mouth.

"When we got on the bus he started putting tape on our mouth,"
said Johnathon.

Gutierrez called the Knox County Sheriff's Office, called her son's school and transported her little boy to the hospital.

Gutierrez says other parents at Hardin Valley Elementary said they also complained to law enforcement about the same bus driver. However, KCSO told local outlets they could not comment on any case involving a minor.

A representative with Knox County Schools confirmed a situation involving a bus driver

"The Wednesday afternoon had been addressed, and that the incident was reported to the appropriate authorities."

The representative said the driver was removed from driver eligibility for the school system.

School officials were unable to identify the bus driver local news outlets.

Johnathon told his parents the bus driver used duct tape on his and other children's mouths to quiet them.

Meanwhile, Gutierrez said she doesn't know if she'll be able to put her five-year-old on any bus in the future.

"I'm giving them my child to take care of, to get back and forth safely and for that to take place, it's just uncalled for," said Gutierrez.