TN - Girl raped on school bus

[Masterj]

Truly - I am not even going to quote your post because it is so out of line, it is unreal! How dare you insinuate that about Paladin? You have completely overreacted to his post - I am certain that are many people out there who may have also had the same epiphany that he did.

 

[Trino]

I think many posters here are out of touch with inner-city kids. It's a whole different ball game than suburbia.

I can well-imagine why the girl didn't tell her mom. Her mom probably was a working single parent who was not home.

I can also understand the culture of "snitching." There were fights, gang problems in the school where I taught. NO ONE would say a thing. Snitching is not socially tolerated, and there's no way anyone is going to change the culture of snitching. It's not necessarily being afraid; it's just not something that's done.

Again, an inner-city bus with 60 kids? If you've never been in this situation, first of all, don't even think quiet. Think so loud that you cannot hear what the person sitting next to you is saying. It doesn't at all suprise me that the driver didn't know the penetration was happening. There were no aides on the bus. Buses today need aides.

 

[Eire]

I don't always agree with Paladin, but in this case, I have to say he did not deserve that. First of all, it takes guts to admit that one was not clear on the true definition of the word rape. It takes more guts to do so if one is male. I know men and women who think that if a penis isn't involved, it's not actual rape. To admit to being educated and thus more aware of what the term really means is a good thing and not some justification of a fantasy. Perhaps his use of the word "let" was a bad choice, but I refuse to beat him up verbally over it. I've known women who claim the weren't raped because the "man" in question didn't use his penis. It appears it's a common misconception.

Back to the bus driver. I'm almost willing to bet he's like my old bus driver. He'd let us do almost anything as long as we didn't bother him. People smoked, people did everything short of having sex, he turned a blind eye. This bus driver should be charged. 7 rows back is not so far back that he didn't notice. And, if the camera was able to pick up some of her cries for help, he should have heard them. Even if you think it's just kids messing around, you check! You make damn sure something isn't going on that shouldn't be. My ex-FIL drove a bus, the kids hated him. He never gave an inch and wasn't opposed to stopping the bus if he thought something was going on. He's a tough SOB when he's driving the bus, but those kids are safe.

 

[Jean]

Brandon Stover is scheduled for an April 29 court appearance to enter a plea. Stover has been expelled from the school system--"he will not be able to return to any schools serving minors, district spokesman James Evans said." The article is interesting--they are saying the buss driver did NOTHING wrong!!!

http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080227/NEWS01/802270325/1002

Students urged to come forward about sexual assault on bus

Excerpts

No Riverdale High students aboard a school bus Feb. 20 told authorities about an alleged sexual assault by another student, yet police expect them to tell what they saw and heard on the ride home.

Police are hoping some of the 60 students on board will come forward voluntarily to back up the allegations of a 14-year-old freshman girl. She accused a 18-year-old senior Brandon Stover of placing his hands on her body and down her pants to penetrate her private parts.

The police spokesman said students should have notified the bus driver or called 911 for help.

"Someone could have reported it to school officials after they got off the bus or when they returned to school," Kyle Evans said.

Students also have the option to call Crime Stoppers at 893-STOP, and report what they witnessed without having to give their names, Kyle Evans added.

"I don't expect people to be vigilantes or to take the law into their own hands, but they still need to make an effort to stop the (unlawful) behavior."

Stover was not usually a bus rider, nor did the girl know him when he sat down beside her in row seven, forcing her to move over to the window.

"It was very obvious what was going on in that seat," said Kyle Evans, the police spokesman. "From my perspective watching the video and the perspective of the investigators, it is obvious that a sexual assualt occurred in row number seven."

 

[Linda7NJ]

I think many posters here are out of touch with inner-city kids. It's a whole different ball game than suburbia.

I can well-imagine why the girl didn't tell her mom. Her mom probably was a working single parent who was not home.

I can also understand the culture of "snitching." There were fights, gang problems in the school where I taught. NO ONE would say a thing. Snitching is not socially tolerated, and there's no way anyone is going to change the culture of snitching. It's not necessarily being afraid; it's just not something that's done.

Again, an inner-city bus with 60 kids? If you've never been in this situation, first of all, don't even think quiet. Think so loud that you cannot hear what the person sitting next to you is saying. It doesn't at all suprise me that the driver didn't know the penetration was happening. There were no aides on the bus. Buses today need aides.

Rape is the most unreported crime...it doesn't matter if it's in suburbia or an inner city

 

[SieSie]

How horrible! My prayers for this young girl. May she have lots of family and friends to help her heal.

I cannot believe that nobody on the bus helped her. What a sad, sad world we live in.

 

[Filly]

Buses today need aides.

They need cops. Trino, I come from Philly and something similar happened on a public bus I was on a few years back. "Snitches get stitches". I always sit or stand at the front of the bus to allow a quick exit. Preferably sitting I keep my back to a wall. Kids coming home from a highschool on the bus I took from work every day these kids it was something. Bus drivers aren't armed, and the elderly I feel so bad for. A crowd of kids surrounded a boy and a girl he was sexually assaulting. The yelling was louder than usual. Bus driver pulled over, and got out and called the cops. All the adults got off including some poor old people. These kids will kill ya. Thankfully the cops came quickly. No matter though even suburbia got this and these kids are out of control. Unfortunately sometimes the only way to ensure your kids safety to and from school is taking them yourself. Sad, sad situation. This poor girl now is a snitch I guess. Now what for her?

 

[philamena]

Filly,
Hopefully, she'll be able to attend a private school or a school in another district. If she was my precious daughter, I'd dare the sob's to taunt her or seek revenge for being a snitch. :furious: I mean, she was raped for gawd's sake. (This case has me in anger mode. )
IMO the kids who stood by and watched or didn't answer her plea for help, should be charged with something. The bus video shows who was standing around her.

 

[chiperoni]

I've been on a lot of school buses and when the're 60 kids the noise level is horrendous. Was this a bus just for highschool kids? There's so much we don't know. Were the other students sitting close to the victim deliberately ignoring her pleas for help? The perpetrator is 18. Did he have other 18 year old friends on the bus who would cover for him? If all the kids on the bus were teens why wasn't a monitor on the bus to keep order and help the bus driver? I pray for the victim and hopefully we'll get more information.

 

[pixies]

The school distict spokesman was on the radio today saying while everyone is screaming for "adult aids" to work on the bus, the school district cannot afford the 3 million dollars a year that it would cost.
I guess our kids are not worth the money? I guess one rape on a school bus is not enough?

Wonder how much this lawsuit is going to cost them? I can almost say this victim and her family is going to be getting a lot more than 3 million dollars from the school district and the rapists family.

 

[Paladin]

The school distict spokeman was on the radio today saying while everyone is screaming for "adult aids" to work on the bus, the school district cannot afford the 3 million dollars a year that it would cost.

3 million? How much do they plan on paying these aides?

 

[Masissy]

I am not sure how everyones school district operates, but in this district, kids ranging from K-12 ride the same bus. I had a friend tell me her elementary kids learned more from riding on the bus than anywhere else. Sad that this is the only means some parents have to ensure their kids have transportation to and from school.

 

[Masissy]

3 million? How much do they plan on paying these aides?

More info.....


http://dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080228/NEWS01/80228009

 

[Vegas Bride]

So there are no plans to address this with the school. There were 60 kids on that bus and no councelling? This is a very good opportunity to educate children in what to do, both in how to protect yourself or what to do if someone is needing help. The article said the kids are talking among themselves but it's not disturbing the classes. Excuse me but this entire thing is disturbing and should be addressed! :furious:

I wonder if there are any board members who have children riding these buses, they may look at things differently if it was their own child or grandchild attacked.

VB

 

[Linda7NJ]

I am not sure how everyone's school district operates, but in this district, kids ranging from K-12 ride the same bus. I had a friend tell me her elementary kids learned more from riding on the bus than anywhere else. Sad that this is the only means some parents have to ensure their kids have transportation to and from school.

Stop expecting taxpayers to foot the bill for babysitting a bunch of brats! If you care about your kid...drive them yourself! Concerned parents could volunteer to be a bus aid.......parents could organize a car pool. ...there are many ways children could be safer riding the bus.........but I shouldn't have to pay for it!

I already pay school taxes, pay school tuition for private school and transport my kid to and from school.

 

[Paladin]

I already pay school taxes, pay school tuition for private school and transport my kid to and from school.

My wife let me know before we got married that she fully expects our children to be attending private schools, since that is how she and her brother were raised.

I can't believe cities make you pay school taxes on top of private school fees. It can get really pricey.

 

[natasha-cupcake]

Stop expecting taxpayers to foot the bill for babysitting a bunch of brats! If you care about your kid...drive them yourself! Concerned parents could volunteer to be a bus aid.......parents could organize a car pool. ...there are many ways children could be safer riding the bus.........but I shouldn't have to pay for it!

I already pay school taxes, pay school tuition for private school and transport my kid to and from school.

I understand your point, Linda, but I think it's more a case of trying to protect the victims of those brats, rather than babysitting the brats themselves. Some parents don't have the option of driving their kids to school or joining a car pool. I think it's a complex problem requiring a complex solution.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I understand your point, Linda, but I think it's more a case of trying to protect the victims of those brats, rather than babysitting the brats themselves. Some parents don't have the option of driving their kids to school or joining a car pool. I think it's a complex problem requiring a complex solution.

Fine...I just don't want to pay for it.

 

[Masissy]

Stop expecting taxpayers to foot the bill for babysitting a bunch of brats! If you care about your kid...drive them yourself! Concerned parents could volunteer to be a bus aid.......parents could organize a car pool. ...there are many ways children could be safer riding the bus.........but I shouldn't have to pay for it!

I already pay school taxes, pay school tuition for private school and transport my kid to and from school.

There are a lot of things as a tax payer I don't want to pay, such as taking care of criminals.

This assault went on for 15 minutes in the 7th row of the bus surrounde4d by kids watching. The bus driver should have got his head out of his azz and handled the problem. He is useless and should never be allowed to drive a bus again.

 

[Paladin]

There are a lot of things as a tax payer I don't want to pay, such as taking care of criminals.

This assault went on for 15 minutes in the 7th row of the bus surrounde4d by kids watching. The bus driver should have got his head out of his azz and handled the problem. He is useless and should never be allowed to drive a bus again.

Why are you blaming the driver? I believe the guy when he said he didn't hear what was going on. Loudness of 60 students aside, he's sitting in the front of the bus about 2-3 away from a giant diesel engine. Stopped or moving, those school bus engines are loud.

People need to stop finding someone to blame. Just because he was the only adult on the bus doesn't make him responsible. It's the fault of the 18 year old punk who decided to do this.