A South Florida school bus driver is facing charges after authorities say she abused a severely autistic woman.
Jeannette Johnson, 58, was arrested Thursday on charges of battery and abuse of a disabled adult, according to a Miami-Dade Police arrest report.
Johnson was booked into jail and later released on bond. No attorney information was immediately available.
According to the report the victim is a severely autistic adult woman who receives a ride to the Ruth Owens Kruse Educational Center on a school bus. She is non-verbal but must be harnessed in the bus, investigators said.
Johnson allegedly pushed, mocked and verbally abused the woman, and the incident was caught on video, the report said. The tape shows Johnson intentionally sitting on top of the victim, the report said.
The educational center's principal declined to comment Friday. Employees at the center said they weren't aware of the arrest.
"The alleged actions of the employee are abhorrent and are in no way condoned by the school district," Miami-Dade Schools officials said in a statement. "This type of behavior by an employee will result in reprimands, up to and including termination."
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The allegations had neighbors upset Friday.
"It's horrific because you leave your kids trusting they're in good hands and you assume everyone on the bus is someone that is mindful of their condition," Betty Hegland said.
