The mother of a disabled child is fighting for her daughter’s fundamental rights due to the 9-year-old being regularly stranded by her school bus.
Pix11 reports Tanya Little-John and her daughter Kennadi await Happy Child Transporation every day so her daughter can get to school, where she undergoes therapy for her cerebral palsy. Little-John says her child has been left behind so many times by the bus that she’s nearly missed a month of school. Kennadi also has a rare brain disorder is unable to talk, walk or eat on her own. While her mother does the best she can to care for Kennadi, treatments from her school also provide a tremendous amount of support.
“The DOE neglected my daughter,” Little-John said. “I’m not asking for extra attention. I want services that are there for her to be provided to her.” The company, a contracted vendor of the Department of Education, has fired back with claims that Little-John rarely has her child ready for school. Little-John says she is prepared to release time stamps provided by her building’s surveillance cameras that show her and Kennadi waiting for the bus at 7:15 a.m. She acknowledged to reporters that the bus did arrive to pick up her daughter on Monday (Nov. 28), three hours late.
“We weren’t picked up until 10 in the morning,” she said. “That is unacceptable.” A spokesperson for the DOE released a statement, promising to work with the Little-John and her daughter. “We are dedicated to providing safe, reliable transportation to all students. We have made several adjustments to the route and will continue working closely with the family, bus vendor and school to make additional changes as needed and ensure the individual needs of the student are being met.”
“I feel like they gave up on my daughter and it hurts,” Little-John said. Community activist Tony Herbert says he plans to work with the family in ensuring justice is served.