The attorney for a substitute Loudoun County Public Schools bus driver accused of striking a student said his client may sue.
A judge on July 22 dismissed charges against Lavangila N. McKissic, 35, formerly of Round Hill, who was charged with simple assault after a 15-year-old Harmony Intermediate School student said she struck him during an argument over an MP3 player.
McKissic was charged May 11 in connection with the April 27 incident.
Howard Woodson, her Alexandria-based attorney, said his client is taking time to decide whether to file suit for defamation of character.
Woodson declined to name a possible defendant if McKissic were to sue.
Following the incident, McKissic was placed on paid administrative leave, according to Wayde Byard, spokesman for Loudoun County Public Schools.
Byard said McKissic hasn’t notified the school system about the court’s decision.
It was unclear whether the driver would be reinstated.
In dismissing the case against McKissic during a Loudoun County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court hearing, Judge Patricia Kelly said prosecutors lacked necessary evidence.
The bus was equipped with a video camera at the time, but the camera was not recording at the time of the alleged assault, authorities said.
Kelly dismissed the charge before the defense attorney had a chance to present his case. Woodson, however, said he was prepared to question three students as witnesses for the defense who would have testified that McKissic never touched the teen.
The teen’s family could not be reached for comment.
According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, McKissic was upset with the teen because he ignored a request to lower the volume on his MP3 player.
Police said after the student did not turn down the music, McKissic stopped the bus in the road near the intersection of East Main Street and 16th Street in Purcellville. She was accused of grabbing the MP3 player while striking the student.
A Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office school resource officer was notified of the incident the following day.
If the bus driver actually roughed up the punk that wouldn’t follow direction. Good. Glad you got away with it!
If the driver didn’t touch the kid, I would hope the lawsuit goes against the kid’s parents. This driver is extremely lucky she is not stuck with the same legal bills as that coach in Centerville that was falsely accused of molesting a student. That spoiled little brat was busted for lying and I would hope the parents would be liable for all the pain and suffering caused by not teaching their kids about truth and honor.
HEy, to the reporter due diligence would advise going to the source. FYI There is a terrible lack of reporting of court cases in Loudoun. This site might help:
http://wasdmz2.courts.state.va.us/CJISWeb/MainMenu.do
It bothers me that people continue to throw the race card out their? Isnt this 2010? If the child was wrong then document it, but under no case should a Bus Driver ever hit a child or stop the bus in the middle of traffic and get out of her seat to wrestle a child for a MP3 player.
vic-tim
In the ‘80’s, on Fridays, we were allowed to bring our tape players to school and play it on the bus. Rocked out to WHAM and Van Halen from a 3” speaker.
Why is no one asking who turned off the video camera? If the bus driver did it, as is rumored to be the practice, why? If not, someone else turned it off and removed the ability for the bus driver and/or the kid to be protected. That is the POINT of these cameras. There was a particularly bad fight on a bus in our neighborhood several years ago and, lo and behold, the video camera was also turned off so noone could say who started the fight or who was just protecting himself. Hey reporters - look into the video camera angle - its a problem.
It is a tough job working with students in a public school system at any level. I believe that all of the other children were at risk if an accident happened because of the MP3 player, a distraction was diffently there for the bus driver to ask for the player to be turned down. These bus drivers have to be able to hear what is going on inside and outside the bus as well as drive. Today’s school children are taught early on to play the victum and run home run home to mom and dad to tell them they were grabbed, touched, yelled at, inapproiatly spoken to, or physically abused by a school personnel. Unless we do not see it or have witnesses to prove it how can we believe it. Some children invent things to say or are prompted by adults to say negative things to their advantage. I have found that most older children will get back at an school personal whom they don’t like by making a situation with that person worse than what really took place. I also believe that the student involved may have provoked the bus driver by not turning down the MP3 player when asked to on several ocassion. I also believe that all radio’s of any kind should not be allowed on school buses. What happened to the good ole days when this was not allowed. Also, all bus drivers should join the Loudoun Education Association, it really works on behalf of school employees. I believe the good ole boy’s of the school system need to get in gear and get busy on new bus rules and regulations to keep all the children safe on today school buses. Getter Done!
respect starts at home ! respect elders and authority ! I think by the bus driver by asking shows she respected the student and the student by not obeying shows disrespect lets keep it simple action and reaction.
Thank God! Justice Prevailed! Now if there was a way to beat the parents of the kid for procreating then all will be right in the world!
As far as I’m concerned, the more problems Mrs. McKissic causes for LCPS, the better she’s doing her job. Bravo, Mrs. McKissic!
I am happy to see the bus driver supported. These drivers have to put up with rude, obnoxious, self entitled spoiled children and parents. If the school system would support the drivers and make the parents take responsibility for transporting these types of children perhaps they would teach their children respect and manners.
What kind of reporting is this…a judge dismissed… does the judge not have a name
I am filing a wrongful termination suit. In filing such a Complaint in US court, is it necessary to include/ attach evidence at the time of filing, or just the brief, points of elements.
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Good for the bus driver! This student should not be allowed on a bus again. If her parents have to transport her, maybe they will teach her some basic behavior guidelines. Ridiculous that it cost tax $ and time to deal with this obnoxious lying student.
well i have followed this as well and i know for a fact that she causes several problems for the transportation department as an employee….this one just made the paper…
This is NOT the last time this punk will be the center of ‘trouble’....guaranteed!
Wonderer—I’ve followed this from the beginning. The odds lean heavily for the child involved to be the center of future problems and trouble. Just wait.
wonderer - I am willing to bet she will have fewer issues than the kid.
i wonder how many more issues Mrs.McKissic is going to have?
Sensibility lives!
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