Beaten Dallas County Schools bus driver speaks out
The bus driver who was beaten by Richardson ISD junior high students in February says he's going back to work soon.
However, he says the pain from the assault is still lingering. He also says the Dallas County Schools Police Chief didn't tell FOX 4 the truth about his involvement.
A source mad at the chief and his staff for doing nothing gave FOX 4 video of the assault, and things have been happening ever since.
Since FOX 4 aired video of that assault on Friday, the bus driver, George Diaz, says he has received a flood of support and is grateful for that.
Late Monday afternoon, the superintendent himself said he will be conducting the investigation into the incident.
“Look, I have a pain in my shoulder,” said 63-year-old Diaz. “I can't even lift my arm [in certain ways].”
Diaz is still in pain six months after taking a beating from 6th and 7th graders.
The grandfather of six was driving his usual route from Forest Meadow Junior High in Richardson ISD on Feb. 12 when a student threw a bottle of Dr. Pepper at the back of his neck.
Diaz says he pulled over to find out who threw the bottle and called dispatch to report the incident.
He was told DCS police were on the way and hung up. Then, the attack began.
“They all coming to me,” said Diaz. “They start punching me….one guy punch me [in the head].”
The attack spilled outside the bus.
Diaz says finally, a woman saw what happened and intervened.
After waiting 15 to 20 minutes and no DCS officers showed up to help, he took the remaining students home.
Diaz says the very next day, he went to speak to a lieutenant with Dallas County Schools about pressing assault charges, and Chief Scott Peters walked in.
“I sat down with the lieutenant,” said Diaz. “The lieutenant was showing me the video. The chief of police…he come in, saying, ‘You can't tell me what to do.’ With an attitude. I was so surprised.”
Diaz says he was strongly discouraged from pressing charges and was told the students' parents may press charges against him.
“I said, ‘You know, I don't care. Everything is there. They can see,’” said Diaz.
Chief Peters told FOX 4 on Friday he had no knowledge of the assault, but that police should have been dispatched that day and an investigation would follow with more information as early as Monday.
Initially, a spokesperson for DCS had said that police had been trying to reach Diaz, but he hadn't returned their calls.
Diaz said he had never received any calls.
Superintendent Rick Sorrells told FOX 4 on Monday afternoon that they were able to reach Diaz and that they’re planning to meet with him within the next two days.
The superintendent says he heard about the incident for the first time when it aired Friday on FOX 4. He says he would have anticipated that he would have heard about it sooner, but he says he will get to the bottom of it.
He estimates that the investigation could take about a week.
“What I want to do is have that full side of the story so when I go to my staff and ask questions, I won’t have to go back and ask,” said Sorrells. “I'll have everything I need from Mr. Diaz and from the news report that you've provided.”
Diaz says he once ran into one of the students who hit him, but there have been no apologies and no resolutions.
“I said, ‘Why you did it?’” said Diaz. “He said, ‘I don't know’ and I said, ‘OK, God bless you’ and I walked out.”
Diaz says he was strongly discouraged from pressing charges and was told the students' parents may press charges against him.
“I said, ‘You know, I don't care. Everything is there. They can see,’” said Diaz.
Chief Peters told FOX 4 on Friday he had no knowledge of the assault, but that police should have been dispatched that day and an investigation would follow with more information as early as Monday.
Initially, a spokesperson for DCS had said that police had been trying to reach Diaz, but he hadn't returned their calls.
Diaz said he had never received any calls.
The superintendent told FOX 4 on Monday afternoon that they were able to reach Diaz and that they’re planning to meet with him within the next two days.
The superintendent says he heard about the incident for the first time when it aired Friday on FOX 4. He says he would have anticipated that he would have heard about it sooner, but he says he will get to the bottom of it.
He estimates that the investigation could take about a week.
“What I want to do is have that full side of the story so when I go to my staff and ask questions, I won’t have to go back and ask,” said Sorrells. “I'll have everything I need from Mr. Diaz and from the news report that you've provided.”
Diaz says he once ran into one of the students who hit him, but there have been no apologies and no resolutions.
“I said, ‘Why you did it?’” said Diaz. “He said, ‘I don't know’ and I said, ‘OK, God bless you’ and I walked out.”