New details released by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office allege two Polk County Public Schools transportation employees repeatedly sprayed a 15-year-old disabled student with disinfectant while he was riding a school bus.
Bus driver Jeffrey Larson, 65, and bus attendant William “Cody” Roberts, 32, were arrested Wednesday and each charged with one count of aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony.
The arrests were reported Wednesday, but an arrest affidavit provided to Daily Ridge by PCSO gives a much more detailed account of what investigators allege happened aboard Polk County school bus #1611.
According to the affidavit, the investigation began Sept. 22 after the principal of Karen M. Siegel Academy noticed an increase in student behavior referrals involving the bus and requested video footage from the Polk County School Board.
The victim is a 15-year-old student whose name Daily Ridge is withholding because he is a minor. Investigators described the student as intellectually disabled, functioning at approximately a toddler level and unable to speak for himself.
According to deputies, video from Aug. 31 showed Larson spraying a liquid from a spray bottle near the student before allegedly spraying the student in the face, torso and legs.
In another video clip, investigators said Larson left the driver’s seat, walked over to the student and sprayed him in the face and across the front of his body while saying, “stop spitting.”
Roberts was also allegedly present during at least one of the incidents.
Investigators said another incident was captured on video Sept. 2. According to the affidavit, Roberts was sitting in the rear of the bus while the student was secured in his seat. Roberts allegedly looked toward a camera, pulled out a spray bottle and sprayed the student’s back.
The affidavit also describes two statements heard on the bus: “I’ll put a gag in your mouth if you don’t knock it off,” and “You’re gonna regret this.”
The detective wrote that investigators could not determine whether Larson or Roberts made those statements.
One of the most significant details in the affidavit came from Roberts’ interview with detectives.
According to investigators, Roberts admitted spraying the student in the face with disinfectant “no more than five times” and allegedly told detectives he did it to “teach him a lesson.”
Roberts also allegedly told investigators he saw Larson spray the student in the face with disinfectant on two occasions for the same reason.
According to the affidavit, Roberts acknowledged that what they had done was wrong because the disinfectant was an irritant that could negatively affect the student’s health. Investigators said Roberts also acknowledged that the student “did not know better due to his disability” and could not speak for himself.
Larson was also interviewed by investigators. According to the affidavit, he told detectives there were no spray bottles containing water on the bus, but there were three bottles containing different cleaning products. Larson then invoked his right to counsel, according to the report.
Deputies later obtained a search warrant for the school bus and recovered a bottle labeled “Morning Fresh, Neutral Disinfectant Cleaner.”
According to the affidavit, the product’s warning label states that it should be kept out of the reach of children and may cause eye and skin irritation.
Investigators determined there was probable cause to charge both men with aggravated child abuse, alleging the student was maliciously punished by being sprayed with the cleaning product.
Both men were arrested and transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center without incident.
Polk County Public Schools previously confirmed that Larson and Roberts were transportation employees and told families that the two men would no longer have any involvement with the district. The district also notified families at Boswell Elementary and Tenoroc High School because the two employees served those schools as well.
