Former OKCPS Bus Driver Charged With Child Abuse Following Fight With Student

<p>A former school bus driver for the Oklahoma City Public Schools District (OKCPS)&nbsp;has been charged with child abuse, following a physical&nbsp;altercation with a student on the bus.</p>

Friday, January 29th 2016, 11:21 am

By: News 9


A former school bus driver for the Oklahoma City Public Schools District (OKCPS) has been charged with child abuse, following a physical altercation with a student on the bus.

According to the OKCPS, on November 5, 2015, former bus driver Henry Ballard got into a physical altercation with a student on the bus. The incident was recorded on video by a camera on the bus.

District staff then contacted a parent of the student, offered support to students who witnessed the incident, and worked closely with police during their criminal investigation. Officials said they took immediate action to discipline Ballard, who was officially terminated on December 17, 2015.

Ballard had been employed with the district since August of 2011.

In a statement, Mark Myers, spokesperson for the OKCPS, said, “The actions of Ballard were disturbing, and the district has absolutely no tolerance for the behavior displayed.”

Due to student privacy issues protected under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA,) school officials said they cannot release the video of the incident.

Ballard was booked into the Oklahoma County Jail Thursday night. He is being held on $10,000 bond.

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