CMS Grandmother Upset With Lack Of Action After Alleged Sexual Assault On School Bus

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte grandmother’s anger is growing, one month after she says another student sexually assaulted her granddaughter on a school bus.

“If they can’t get it right for this one little girl, then what about the rest of the children?” asks Andrea Higgins.

She calls it an “ongoing nightmare,” and says CMS failed to take appropriate action after she says a boy sexually assaulted her five-year-old granddaughter on the school bus, on her way to after school care on February 6th.

“I got no, no consolation, no relief, no support,” Higgins says.

She says the little girl usually sits with her big sister, but the bus driver made her go to the back of the bus because she was being too loud.

That’s where she says an older boy sexually assaulted her with the help of another boy.

“I was mortified, because I was like, this is the school bus. When we send them to school we’re assuming that they’re safe,” Higgins says.

Higgins is angry and frustrated because she says the boys are still on the same bus with her granddaughter.

The district told WCCB Charlotte in a statement in part, “…we are required under federal law not to impose any disciplinary action or sanctions until the investigation is complete.”

“If making her feel safe (means) that you give her alternate transportation or perhaps alternate or emergency removal from those children off of the bus, I don’t think that is a disciplinary action,” Higgins says.

Higgins says her granddaughter is still dealing with what happened.

“Definitely has bad days. She’s had nightmares,” she says.

Higgins wants the district to speed up its investigation and in the meantime make sure her granddaughter is safe.

“She has no shame. We have no shame. We will not hide our faces, as if we were ashamed. We will continue to speak out and we’ll tell it to anybody that will listen. And we will not stop until justice is served,” she says.

WCCB Charlotte reached out to CMS again on Tuesday.

A spokesperson says they have no update on the investigation and says the district is standing by its original statement.

Higgins plans to organize a protest before the next CMS board meeting.