Pleasanton grandparents react to videotaped incident between their grandson and bus driver

PLEASANTON, Texas – The grandparent of a Pleasanton Independent School District student is pushing for the firing of a district school bus driver.

Hopes for his dismissal come after Rebecca Ybarra said a video sent to her showed the driver being aggressive toward her student.

Ybarra is the grandmother and guardian of six-year-old Edward. Like many students, Edward rides the school bus to and from Pleasanton Elementary School.

A video taken by another student, whose aunt gave KSAT permission to use it, shows an adult lifting Edward up and putting him back in the seat more than once on August 20. The child who recorded the video told his aunt that he started recording after the driver hit Edward.

According to Ybarra, the adult in the video is Edward's primary bus driver. KSAT spoke briefly with Edward so he could describe what happened.

“He grabbed me and lifted me up,” Edward told KSAT.

KSAT also asked Edward how he felt about the incident.

“Uncomfortable,” said Edward.

“I worry: If he does this to my child, would he do it to the next child?” Ybarra told KSAT.

Edward said the incident began with a child hitting him with a backpack, which led to Edward hitting the child with a backpack, and then the situation escalated to the point seen in the video.

Ybarra contacted the school district and met with Anthony Kosub, assistant superintendent of Pleasanton ISD, in hopes of holding the driver accountable.

“I don't need an apology from him,” Ybarra said. “He just can't be around children.”

“We are aware of the situation and are investigating it to address it,” Kosub said in a phone conversation with KSAT.

Kobus also said the district does not comment on personnel matters.

“All evening, parents were sending me messages telling me this isn't the first time he's treated a child like this,” Ybarra said. “Last year, we had the same issues with the same bus driver, but according to the school, no one brought it up. 'Well, I brought it up today because you touched my child.'”

Ybarra said she has been waiting for an update on the school district's investigation since Wednesday.

“It was just a difficult situation to deal with,” Ybarra said. “It was very disturbing.”