Security cameras will be installed on school buses in Durham, South Carolina after two students, including a five-year-old, were allegedly sexually assaulted on a bus.
Extra security was called for when the two students reported what had taken place.
Marie Lang, the attorney representing a victim from the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, said, “It’s concerning, not only to parents, but to the whole community. We are trying to find out is what happened and why this incident was allowed to occur.”
Lang also encouraged other families to come forward if their kids reported any similar activities.
“Sharing painful experiences is difficult … but it is a necessary part of holding individuals and institutions accountable and maintaining the bonds of trust that our community depends on,” Lang said.
The school system, along with the community, has insisted that precautions need to be taken to protect the students who ride the bus.
Superintendent Bert L’Homme said on Thursday, “It is no longer acceptable for any bus to go without this added layer of security. We are carefully determining which students were involved and what truly happened.”
Thus far, students involved are yet to be punished, but L’Homme says they want to be absolutely sure they correctly identify those involved. This would be a process that would have gone a lot smoother had they had the help of cameras on the bus.
L’Homme also announced that there will now be monitors that ride on buses wherein such incidents have been reported. One has already been placed on the bus where these alleged incidents took place.
What do you think? If your children were in this school district, would these precautions be enough to make you feel safe about your kids riding the bus?