WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A Winter Haven school bus attendant was charged with child abuse after using a belt to hit an 11-year-old child while she sat on top of him, police said.
Police said their investigation began back on Nov. 17, 2022, when the child's grandmother reportedly filed a report after learning of the belt incident, as well as two others involving the same bus attendant, identified as 33-year-old Loni Covington.
The grandmother, who is also the child's caregiver, reportedly told police her three grandchildren all ride the same bus to school. She then told police when the kids got home after school on Nov. 14, the 11-year-old said Covington had "flicked him on the ear and neck" while on the bus, according to a Winter Haven Police Department news release.
The next day, the grandchildren reportedly said Covington had "beat the boy with a belt on his side." The grandmother told police she saw belt marks on the boy's side and back and took pictures of the marks to give to Polk County School Transportation, the department said.
When the kids got off the bus on Nov. 16, another grandchild told the grandmother Covington had "grabbed her by the wrists and snatched a picture out of her hand."
The release stated the third grandchild confirmed to the grandmother the events the other two had told her about were true and saw the alleged abuse when it happened. The child added Covington made all three kids sit on the same seat, one that is designed to fit only two children, and whenever the bus made a turn or stop, the kid sitting on the end would fall off.
Once the grandmother reported the alleged abuse, police said their investigation began. Not long after the investigation began, police said they learned the 11-year-old was seen standing up while the bus was moving.
Covington reportedly saw the boy standing and told another student to take off her belt. She then took the belt, folded it and hit him nine times while she sat on top of him, the release said.
Fast forward to Feb. 28. Detectives said they interviewed Covington who told them she saw the 11-year-old standing and told him to sit down. She told police the boy talked back to her and that's when she told the other student to give her the belt.
Covington reportedly said she then hit the floor and back of the seat but said she "didn't recall" the belt ever hitting the boy.
However, detectives said video showed the belt "did in fact make contact with the child nine times."
Covington was arrested and charged with felony child abuse w/o bodily harm.
"This is unacceptable behavior for anyone who works with children," the Polk County School board said in a provided statement. "We appreciate the Winter Haven Police Department for conducting a thorough investigation and helping us protect our students."
10 Tampa Bay has reached out to Polk County Schools regarding Covington's employment status and is waiting to hear back.