ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – An Alachua County mother says she's happy a bus aide on her daughter's bus is behind bars.
John Heath, 76, was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse.
Tara Kohl said her daughter, Brooke, was abused by Heath last week on the bus ride home.
According to Kohl, her daughter was on the bus when the bus aide reached down to get her shoes that had fallen off.
She said the aide claims her daughter kicked him in the nose by accident, which is why he then pushed her. But Kohl said her daughter didn't deserve that kind of punishment.
"She loves to give kisses and hold hands," Kohl said. "She wouldn't hurt a fly. She loves everybody."
Kohl said her daughter is severely autistic and doesn't speak, but this past year she's been more agitated and stressed when riding the bus than ever before.
Kohl said a phone call this past Thursday from the district's director of transportation was the first inclination something was wrong.
"I wasn't expecting to see what I saw," Kohl said.
Surveillance video shows the bus aide pushing her daughter's head so hard that it hit the window.
"It was loud enough that the bus driver heard it over the engine," Kohl said
Kohl said she didn't find out about the incident until almost a week later and was appalled by what she saw.
"You're supposed to have lots of patience for any child you're around," Kohl said. "If you need to control yourself, walk away and count to 10. If you're going to work with kids, especially special needs, you should know that."
Kohl said she applauds the bus driver for telling her supervisor.
"She was trying to protect a child and she did the best she could," Kohl said. "I hope she continues to do that."
Kohl said her daughter is prone to seizures and hard knocks to the head can trigger a seizure, so she's nervous that what happened to her daughter last week could bring one on.