Cy-Fair ISD family upset after ‘horrific’ surveillance video shows son with autism being assaulted on school bus

The 7-year-old with autism, who is nonverbal, was riding the school bus home from Lee Elementary School.

A CyFair ISD family tells KPRC 2 that their 7-year-old son was assaulted by another student on a special needs school bus on the way home from Lee Elementary School on Thursday afternoon.

Their son, Elijah, has autism and is nonverbal, his mother Melika Matthews said.

Elijah’s friend from the bus told Matthews about the incident as they walked home from the bus stop.

“I don’t even think he understands what happened to him,” Matthews said. “I felt like I failed my son. I wasn’t there to protect him.”

She visited Lee Elementary School on Friday where she watched surveillance video described to KPRC 2 as “horrific.”

“I never want to look at that video again,” she said. “It was not something a mother should ever see.”

Elijah’s father described it as “disturbing.”

Matthews claims the video shows the other student standing in the bus aisle while slamming her son’s face into the seat several times. The video also showed students unbuckled, contrary to typical practice, she said.

CyFair ISD confirmed the incident is being investigated by campus administration and the district’s transportation department.

KPRC 2 asked for a copy of the video Friday but was directed to the district’s legal department, and so far has been unable to obtain it.

Matthews said the special needs bus didn’t have an aide on it at the time, which she believes could have made all the difference.

She’s still trying to process what she saw but for now, her confidence in her child’s school district is crippled.

“I don’t trust them enough anymore to send my son back to school,” she said.


About the Author:

Bryce Newberry joined KPRC 2 in July 2022. He loves the thrill of breaking news and digging deep on a story that gets people talking.