“She couldn’t tell them to stop. She couldn’t get away because she’s in a five-point harness car seat. She just had to sit there, and the bus driver wasn’t stopping,”
An upset mother explained after seeing what her young daughter endured on the school bus. The situation is truly heartbreaking.
Lillian Waldron, a 10-year-old child with developmental challenges, attends Langlade Elementary School in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
She rides a school bus with other students who also have special needs, seated in a safety harness directly behind the bus driver. One might assume that this setup would ensure her protection,
But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. When Lillian—affectionately known as Lilly—came home one Monday afternoon, she ran to her mother crying and holding her arm.
Since Lilly is nonverbal, her mother didn’t immediately understand what was wrong. She soon found out after helping her daughter prepare for a bath.
“She loves baths and that’s soothing to her. So, I brought her home and I was getting her ready for the bath. I took her sweatshirt off, and that’s when I noticed,”
Said Lynn Waldron-Moehle, Lillian’s mother. Her daughter’s upper arms were covered in significant bruises, indicating she had been harmed and unable to get away due to her secured seat.
While sitting directly behind the bus driver, Lillian was repeatedly hurt by another student, unable to call for help. Though Lilly cannot speak,
She does make audible sounds when in distress—noises that likely should have alerted the driver. However, no intervention occurred, which is why her parents are now speaking out.
“The seat was right behind the bus driver and he couldn’t hear anything or see anything? Come on,” said Chad Waldron, Lillian’s father.
Making the situation more troubling, the incident was captured on video—described by school officials as “disturbing and heartbreaking.”
A representative from Lamers Bus Lines stated that all Green Bay Area Public Schools buses are equipped with video cameras,
And that bus drivers are permitted to step in during conflicts. However, that doesn’t appear to have happened in this case.
The school district confirmed they are investigating the incident, but Lillian’s mother said the school principal has already seen the footage and was shaken by.
What he witnessed. “He said it was disturbing and heartbreaking to watch. That the other student was repeatedly hurting my daughter,” Lynn said.
“Several administrators and I immediately reached out to the family,” said Superintendent Michelle Langenfeld in a statement.
“[We] met with them to address their concerns and provide support to ensure the physical and emotional wellbeing of our student.”
Lillian’s parents believe protecting students with special needs should be as simple as having adult supervision during transit.
“If you can’t keep an eye on these kids and they have special needs, then someone else needs to be there to help—if the bus driver can’t do it,” Chad said.
“I would like to see this never happen to another child. No other child should have to go through what Lilly experienced,” Lynn added. In response, the school has already made two changes.
The student involved in the incident is no longer attending the elementary school, and Lillian will now travel in a van with two adult attendants. But some wonder if these changes go far enough.
Should someone be held accountable for the oversight? While a driver must stay focused on the road, they also have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the students in their care.
If a situation arises that compromises that safety, the driver should notify the school or take action—such as pulling over—just as they would during a medical emergency.
In this case, the driver appeared to remain focused only on driving. As a young child in clear distress sat directly behind them, her reactions went unnoticed.
The repeated incidents left her with visible bruises, which represent only a small part of the pain and fear she likely experienced.
Adding a second adult to school transportation may seem costly to taxpayers, but so is a potential lawsuit when preventable harm occurs. If such an incident can happen without anyone stepping in,
It raises difficult but necessary questions about oversight and accountability. What would you expect if it were your child—and how much is their safety worth?