WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A school bus attendant in Winter Haven is facing charges after police say she hit an 11-year-old student with a belt nine times.
Loni Covington, 33, is charged with felony child abuse without bodily harm.
According to a press release, the grandmother of the victim filed a report on Nov. 17 after she learned of the incident with the belt and two others involving Covington. It's unclear if the report was filed with the police or the school.
Police said officers learned that on Nov. 15, the 11-year-old victim was standing up on the bus while it moved, and when she saw the boy standing, Covington told another student to take off their belt. Police said Covington took the belt, folded it up, and hit the victim with it nine times while she sat on top of him.
Covington allegedly told police during an interview on Feb. 28 that she told the boy to sit down, he talked back, and she got the belt from the other student. Police added that she told them she used the belt to hit the floor and the back of the bus seat.
According to police, she later said she didn't remember if the belt hit the victim but that detectives learned through video evidence that the belt did make contact with the victim nine times.
The grandmother of the victim told police that on the day it happened, she took pictures of belt marks on the boy's side and back to show Polk County School Transportation.
Police said the victim's grandmother has custody of him and two other children who ride the same bus and that she told them about two other incidents on the bus that involved Covington.
On Nov. 14, the 11-year-old told his grandmother that Covington allegedly flicked him on the ear and neck while on the bus. The following day was when the children said Covington hit the 11-year-old with the belt.
The day after that, on Nov. 16, one of the other children told their grandmother that Covington grabbed her by the wrist and took a picture out of her hand, police said.
The children also alleged that Covington would make all three of them sit on the same seat, which was designed to hold two kids, and that when the bus would turn, whoever was on the edge of the seat would fall off.
Winter Haven Police said an investigation was started once they were informed of the alleged abuse. It's unclear when that was.
Detectives interviewed Covington on Feb. 28, but it's unclear when she was taken into custody. Her arrest was announced on Thursday.
The Polk County School Board released the following statement:
"This is unacceptable behavior for anyone who works with children. We appreciate the Winter Haven Police Department for conducting a thorough investigation and helping us protect our students."
