A Pennsylvania bus driver who allegedly restrained a child with duct tape has been charged.
Juliet Pratt, an Upper Darby bus driver, is accused of restraining a ten-year-old boy by strapping his ankles and chest down with duct tape on a bus she was driving on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
The 54-year-old from Clifton Heights was allegedly caught on camera holding the student down with the adhesive tape as he was seated on the bus in the district-supplied safety harness.
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After arriving at the school, Pratt allegedly used a seat belt cutter to remove the tape from the child. At no time was the youngster observed trying to get out of his seat or move around the bus.
Upper Darby police were called to Hillcrest Elementary School in Drexel Hill following the incident, and on Tuesday, Pratt was charged with unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child.
"Bus drivers are entrusted with enormous responsibility every time they get behind the wheel," said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.
"In addition to being safe drivers, we also expect them to treat the children in their care with dignity and respect.
"Using duct tape on a child who was already fully restrained in the vehicle’s harness was not only inexcusable, it was also dangerous. Had an accident occurred, this child would have been unable to free himself from the tape.
"There is simply no excuse for this conduct, which is why these charges have been filed.
“I want to thank the hundreds of bus drivers who operate vehicles all over Delaware County every single day without incident."
He added: "As the son of a SEPTA bus driver, I know firsthand that it is a difficult job that rarely gets the recognition that it deserves.
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"We do not want this case to detract from the great job that they do in support of the children of this County."
The District Attorney and the Criminal Investigations Division are urging anyone in Delaware County who observes suspicious activity to call 911 immediately.
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