Shocking footage captured the moment an elderly bus driver slapped and choked a Louisiana middle schooler while kids screamed for him to stop.
The driver, who has not been identified, was caught in video filmed by a terrified student on the bus, and has since resigned in disgrace from his role at bus contractor First Student.
It is unclear what triggered the incident, with footage beginning with the bus driver lightly shoving the student back into his seat.
The student gets up and appears to try and exit his seat, causing the bus driver to push him again before shockingly slapping him over the head.
After the child shoves the bus driver in response, the 77-year-old then appears to pin him against the bus window and allegedly choke him.
An elderly bus driver was caught on camera slapping and choking a young student
Stunned students could be heard pleading for the driver to let the child free, with one screaming, ‘Get off of him.’
‘You’re going to jail,’ adds another student from the back.
The driver was employed by First Student, one of the largest school bus contractors in the nation that shuttles roughly 2.5 million students every day.
The company has confirmed that after it became aware of the incident, the driver resigned on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the contractor told Fox8: ‘At First Student, we take our responsibility to provide a safe environment on our school buses very seriously.
‘The interaction the driver had with the student was unacceptable. He has resigned. Given this is an active investigation, we are unable to comment further.’
The driver has since resigned from his role at bus contractor First Student
The school district that hired the bus company, Jefferson Parish Schools, also issued a statement following the shocking footage.
‘We are aware of an incident that occurred on Oct. 30 on the campus of Marrero Middle School between a First Student bus driver and a student,’ the statement read.
‘The bus driver is not a Jefferson Parish Schools employee. The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority, and JP Schools will continue to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students and employees. We are cooperating with JPSO to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted.’
A spokesperson for the Jefferson parish Sheriff’s Office said it has made no arrests, although its Juvenile Division is reportedly still investigating.