Recent incidents of child abuse in Poudre School District and Littleton Public Schools bring attention to a grave issue in Colorado - the regulation and oversight involved in the transportation of our most vulnerable population. 

Initially facing 164 counts, Tyler Zanella (a school district paraprofessional) repeatedly physically, verbally and mentally abused eleven disabled, mostly nonverbal, children on a Poudre School District school bus over the course of several months. One video even captured him taunting a non-verbal child about not being able to tell their mother the abuse was happening. At the time time of his hiring, Zanella already had a prior child abuse conviction. He was recently sentenced, but the lasting impact to those children, their families, and the community, especially those with disabled children, will be felt forever. 

Similarly, in Littleton, Kiarra Monte Laron Jones (a school district paraprofessional) is currently facing assault charges for her prolonged abuse of three disabled, mostly nonverbal, children on a Littleton Public Schools school bus. The video released to the public is haunting. 

In both cases, despite attempts from parents and teachers over the course of 6+ months to identify the root cause of bruises, scratches, seizures, lost teeth and sudden behavior changes, bus video was not reviewed appropriately. 

 In Colorado, school districts are failing to address this issue. Operating independently, they have been disjointed and neglectful in their approach. Students and parents feel abandoned in their pursuit of accountability. This is a statewide, if not national, problem that needs to be urgently addressed by the Colorado Department of Education in a meaningful way. 

The current guidelines for transporting children with disabilities on public school transportation in Colorado are insufficient. It is crucial that the Colorado Department of Education steps in to create additional regulations, ensuring the safety and well-being of these students. According to a 2019 report from the National Council on Disability, students with disabilities face significant barriers when accessing school transportation. This includes inadequate training for bus drivers and aides, lack of appropriate equipment, and inconsistent enforcement of existing regulations (National Council on Disability).

Below are some areas of concern and suggestions.

Hiring - CDE should require public school districts to exclude those with child abuse or child neglect convictions from hiring.

Video Recording - Video recording should be required on all public school transportation transporting disabled students. A reasonable timetable for video retention should be determined by CDE and required. 
Video Monitoring/Auditing - Regular and timely monitoring or auditing of video recordings captured on public school transportation should be required. CDE should determine the interval of monitoring or auditing. Monitoring or auditing should not be completed by the transportation department due to greater likelihood of potential conflict of interest. 

By implementing more comprehensive guidelines, we can provide a safer and more inclusive environment for all students. We urge the Colorado Department of Education to take immediate action to address this issue. Please sign this petition to show your support for protecting children with disabilities on our public school busses.