CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Colorado school bus driver accused of slapping a child for not wearing a mask properly

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - A Colorado bus driver is under fire following an incident where a 10-year-old says he slapped her all because of a face mask.

The incident happened back in early April on a route home in Fremont County. According to documents obtained by 11 News, several girls were arguing about masks in the back of the bus. In a written statement to the school, the 10-year-old girl says she wasn’t feeling well so she moved her mask below her nose. She goes on to say the bus driver, Bertram Jaquez, came to the back of the bus to see what was happening. She writes he tried to move her mask up, and then she says he slapped her for not moving the mask up.

In a written statement to the school district, Jaquez admitted, “Out of reaction, I slapped her once.”

The incident was caught on surveillance video in the bus. It can be viewed at the top of this article. The video was blurred to protect the identity of the students.

Jaquez is facing misdemeanor charges including harassment, assault causing injury, and child abuse. On Thursday, 11 News learned Jaquez was arrested on a warrant for the charges. His bond was set at $1,000 and he was released on a PR bond.

The district released this statement following the incident:

You can read the handwritten statement from the student below:

You can read the handwritten statement from the bus driver below:

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