ADA inquiry opened after bus aide accused of abusing students with autism

According to Littleton Public Schools, the Department of Justice has formally opened an inquiry to determine whether any violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act occurred in the case of a former school bus aide accused of hitting and slapping students with special needs. Kiarra Jones pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including third-degree assault and child abuse earlier this week.

The declaration was made in a letter sent by Littleton Public Schools to parents this week. LPS stated in the letter that, "We do not know how long the inquiry will take, but we are committed to providing the DOJ any information or other support needed to complete its due diligence."

One alleged incident was caught on video showing the suspect punching a 10-year-old student with autism on a school bus. At least three students said they had been hurt by the aide.

The attorneys representing the families of those students released this statement regarding the DOJ inquiry, "Our clients, the parents of the three tortured and abused students intend to bring a civil rights lawsuit against LPS and TJS. These parents look forward to exposing the many deliberate failures by LPS (and TJS) that resulted in the horrific injuries suffered by these children. LPS chose not to inform the community of the DOJ investigation for weeks until forced to because of our clients' efforts. LPS has shamefully put greater effort into threatening critics rather than protecting its most vulnerable student population."

Jones was hired by Littleton Public Schools in August 2023 after the district said she passed a background check and had "satisfactory reference checks." Jones was arrested on April 4 after the incident was reported to the Englewood Police Department by Littleton police on March 28. She was released from the Arapahoe County Jail on a $5,000 bond on April 5.

Jones' trial is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2025 in Arapahoe County Court.

Read the entire email statement from LPS regarding the DOJ inquiry below:

Dear LPS Families, employees and community members,

In our continued effort to keep you informed of important issues in LPS, we want to share with you additional developments regarding the case involving the former LPS paraprofessional charged with assault for her behavior on an LPS bus transporting students to The Joshua School. Ms. Jones pleaded not guilty in her court hearing this week and the judge in her case set a trial date for February 2025.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has formally opened an inquiry to determine whether any violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act occurred as a result of this incident. We do not know how long the inquiry will take, but we are committed to providing the DOJ any information or other support needed to complete its due diligence.

As we shared with you last week, we formed a Special Transportation Task Force. The Task Force is composed of parents of students who receive special transportation, transportation staff members, representatives from student support services, the deputy superintendent and a Board liaison.

The Task Force's recommended procedure and policy changes were approved by the Board and significant improvements are currently being implemented. The Task Force will continue to meet during this school year and will evaluate the effectiveness of the policy and procedure changes. They will report their findings to the Board of Education.