DENTON COUNTY, Texas — A Denton ISD student and her mother spoke out during Tuesday night’s school board meeting after a bus attack.
Kai Williams, a 13-year-old middle school student at Bettye Myers Middle School, said she was attacked by an adult on a school bus.
According to Denton police, at abut 4:14 p.m. on April 23, officers were called to the 3500 block of East McKinney Street.
Williams said another student and an adult assaulted her on the bus after leaving the middle school. According to Williams, she refused to get off the bus to engage in a fight with another student. Williams said when she was hit, she defended herself, and a 21-year-old adult boarded the bus and attacked her.
Cell phone video shows the moments Williams was attacked. According to Denton police, the adult suspect is “sister of an involved part” The suspect, 21-year-old Traveonna Mays turned herself into Denton City Jail on an outstanding injury to a child warrant. No other adults will be arrested, police said.
During the meeting, Williams said the bus driver failed to protect her, and she called on the district to take the issue of bullying more seriously. Williams described how she felt during the attack.
“Scared, alone… and needing help. Nobody gave me it,” Williams said.
Williams and her mother, Lakeisha Searcy said they hope to achieve a safer environment for other students by speaking up.
“I just wanna be the voice for my children and other children,” Searcy said. “I don't want other children to feel being bullied is okay.”
According to Denton ISD, the fight began in a neighborhood and spilled onto school property.
“This horrible video depicts unacceptable conduct Denton ISD never condones, including an adult unlawfully boarding a school bus,” Denton ISD said in a statement.
One of the students involved is no longer on campus and will not return, the district said. The bus driver immediately called dispatch and requested law enforcement, according to the district. Denton police said they responded after Williams’s mother called 911 for help.
Denton ISD has criminally trespassed the adults involved, and those individuals are no longer welcome on any Denton ISD property, the district said.
The district said its transportation officials addressed the driver, reinforced procedures and provided additional training.
“I want Denton ISD to step up and do better,” Searce said.
Several other parents spoke publicly about other bullying incidents during the school board meeting.