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Rock Hill parent says son returned from bus with injuries, calls out broken cameras and lack of administrative response
Summary
At the Feb. 25 Rock Hill School Board meeting a parent described alleged injuries to his nonverbal son, said bus and school cameras were not working, and urged the board to fix safety and special-education procedures; district leaders said staff will investigate and stressed safety is a priority.
A Rock Hill parent told the school board on Feb. 25 that his nonverbal son returned from school with scratches and pinch marks and that transportation and school video cameras were not working to corroborate the incident.
John Moran, who identified himself during the communications portion of the meeting as a parent and former school resource officer, said his son returned home with a “scratch on his neck” and “pinch marks on his ribs” that persisted for days. Moran said transportation staff told him “the bus cameras don't work” and that attempts to get administrative follow-up at the school were inadequate.
Moran described a sequence of events in which he learned of the marks when his wife arrived home, could not obtain validation because his son is nonverbal, and was told by transportation and school staff that cameras were inoperable. He said he was promised fixes — including cameras on the bus, notification of bus staff about his child's IEP and timely reporting of CPI restraints — but that he had not seen those changes take effect.
Superintendent Doctor Jones responded during the superintendent's report that safety is “paramount” and said the district's director of safety and security, Andrew Jones, is monitoring school safety work and follow-up. Jones said the district has a plan under review to address aging cameras and that, beyond cameras, the district must ensure plans for responding when students are in crisis. The superintendent said district staff will respond and investigate the incident the parent raised.
Board members and administrators discussed broader issues Moran raised, including transportation procedures for students with IEPs and the timing of required notifications after CPI restraints. Board members repeatedly said they want accountability and that safety problems — whether cameras, training, or follow-up — must be fixed.
The meeting did not include a formal vote related to the incident; administrators said staff would pursue follow-up with the family and review camera and reporting procedures.
Moran said he has video and audio from a personal camera of the period in question and said he would pursue further action if the district did not remedy the problem. District leaders said they will provide additional information to the board and the family after investigating.
The board scheduled an upcoming meeting on March 11; administrators said they would report back on safety- and camera-related work as part of ongoing oversight.
