Hattie Yvonne Branch, a 70-year-old school bus aide in Polk County, Fla. is facing child abuse charges after she is seen on video hitting, biting and pulling the hair of a 14-year-old special needs boy -- whom, she says, constantly bullied her to a point where she couldn't take it any more. In her statement to police, Ms Hattie says the boy would regularly shout profanity at her, threaten to break her jaw and gesture with his elbow as if to strike her. It all came a head on June 2 when the was horsing around and tossed a 5-year-old boy over a bus seat. The younger boy's feet accidentally struck Ms Hattie. She told police she thought the 14-year-old boy intended for the younger boy's feet to hit her, and she began to defend herself when it appeared to her that the boy had his "deuces up." She said she recalled biting the boy's back but didn't remember putting him in a "full nelson" wrestling hold. "I hate it's happened," Ms Hattie told police. "I really do … But he had set fear in me, 'cause he was always threatening me and every time he passed by me he tried to hit me in the face. And walk off and laugh." She was was arrested July 8 on child abuse charges and was released the next day from jail on $10,000 bail. The school district recommended she be fired, but ms Hattie retired before they had the opportunity to fire her.
Here's the full video footage:
source: WTVT
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