On Monday, school bus attendant, Juanita Tappin, physically and verbally abused several special needs students while they were taken to and from school.
According to court documents, on multiple occasions, video surveillance shows Tappin hitting the children on their head, face, and hands and using different objects to abuse them.
No plea agreement was made and therefore this case was decided by a Polk County Jury, which convicted Tappin of Six Counts of Battery, Abuse of a Disabled Adult, and Child Abuse.
Following the jury trial, Senior Judge Dennis Maloney sentenced Tappin to a 30-month prison sentence followed by 30 months of probation.
“State Attorney Brian Haas would like to thank the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Assistant State Attorney Jessica Fisher for their hard work and dedication in obtaining justice in this case,” said SAO Brian Haas’ office in a statement.
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