ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. – Video of an incident between two students on an Alleghany County school bus is receiving attention from around the world, sparking a conversation about bullying and the role social media plays.
The cellphone video shown above has gotten thousands of views and comments on social media from people in the area and in other countries. It shows a 5-year-old boy appearing to bully a 7-year-old boy on a bus ride home. 10 News has blurred their faces to hide their identities.
Ashlei Balser posted the video Thursday after she says her son was upset, showing her scratches after coming home from Mountain View Elementary School.
"I was very hurt, angry. I'm the mother. I'm supposed to protect my child,” she said.
She said her son was bullied on the same bus last year and the driver should have been quicker to step in Thursday afternoon.
"As soon as the other kid reported it, something should have been done right then,” she said, referring to another child who notified the bus driver of what was happening.
She said the statistics of kids who take their own lives after being bullied worry her.
“As parents, we need to step up and teach our kids that bullying is wrong,” she said.
Balser met with school officials Monday morning. They showed her video from a camera mounted inside the bus. She said that video shows the bus driver stopping the bus and speaking to the students. She said school officials informed her they will discipline the accused student.
Alleghany County Schools Superintendent Eugene Kotulka said the district’s code of conduct is strict on this subject.
"We do not tolerate bullying,” he said.
He said the bus driver did everything he’s supposed to do and reported the incident as he's directed.
"Our bus video shows exactly what he did and he followed exact protocol,” Kotulka said.
He said he sees the quick reactions that can come from people on social media.
“I wish sometimes that people would give an opportunity for everyone to evaluate what happens and then make a decision,” he said.
Leslie and Greg Warlitner are the parents of the student accused of bullying. They've seen both the video on social media and the video from the bus, and have reached out Balser to apologize.
"I was horrified. I was heartbroken. I was mortified. I was upset with my son,” Leslie Warlitner said.
They said they wished the video wasn't online, or at least didn’t show their son’s face, and that comments from all over the U.S. and other countries have been threatening.
"It's awful. He's 5 years old and there are people out there saying that he's a future rapist because of a school bus incident,” Greg Warlitner said.
The Warlitners said people are unfairly seeing them as parents who don’t discipline their son. They said they will agree with any punishment the school hands down.
The families of both students involved say they’re surprised to see the video attract this much attention.