Parent says daughter was assaulted on morning bus; raises safety and discipline concerns

A North Ridgeville parent told the Board of Education at its April 15, 2025 meeting that her second-grade daughter was assaulted on the school bus on the morning of April 4 and urged the district to take steps to guarantee student safety.

"My name is Marcia Witt, and I live...9200 Nash Lane," the parent said during the public-comment period. She said her daughter, a second-grade student at Liberty Elementary, brought a toy to school for indoor recess. When the girl declined to share it, another student allegedly "punched her in the chest three times," then used verbal insults and made a threat. Witt said the child remained seated next to the alleged attacker for the entire ride to school with "no intervention from an adult, including the bus driver."

Witt said she reported the incident to a trusted adult once they arrived at school but was not notified by the school until about 2 p.m. the same day. After speaking with the assistant principal, she said she was told the student who allegedly committed the assault would not be removed from the bus or suspended. "As a mother, this is devastating to hear," Witt said, and she added she has stopped allowing her daughter to ride the morning bus until she believes the student will no longer be on that bus.

Witt referenced the North Ridgeville City student code of conduct and district policies that prohibit harassment, intimidation, and bullying, saying the district's policies support disciplinary responses and action plans after investigations. "What is going to be done moving forward to make sure my child and every other child feels safe on the bus, in the classroom, and on the playground?" she asked the board.

The comment was made during the public-comment portion of the meeting; the transcript does not record a board action or decision in response during the same agenda item. The board moved on to its consent agenda after public comments concluded.