A school bus aide with North Penn School District is facing charges after he allegedly choked a 6-year-old boy with special needs while on a school bus in Montgomery Township.
MacArthur Wilson, 72, of Lansdale, has been charged with felony child endangerment along with misdemeanor counts of simple assault, strangulation, and related offenses, in connection with the incident. He is currently free on $5,000 unsecured bail.
Police said the incident occurred on Oct. 16 around 4 p.m. when Wilson was asked to sit with the boy. A few minutes after, Wilson began to struggle with the boy’s seatbelt, then was observed putting his hands around the boy’s neck for seven seconds before stopping when bus driver yelled at him, according to charging documents.
Wilson reportedly told the driver that the boy had hit him, and he had to teach the boy a lesson, according to the complaint.
The incident was captured on surveillance video inside the bus, and the driver reported the incident to her supervisor immediately upon returning to the Bus Transportation Center at North Penn High School, investigators said. Footage of the incident showed Wilson was struggling to have the boy let go of the seatbelt, then said "Do you want me to choke you out” three times before placing his hand on the boy’s neck, police said.
The parents of the boy said their child ran off the bus when he was dropped off and was visibly distressed. The parents said the front of the boy’s neck was very red and there were small scratches on the rear of his neck and upper back, according to court documents.
They then contacted police.
Wilson’s next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Jan. 9, 2024, at 9:30 a.m.
When reached for comment, a North Penn School District spokesperson provided the following statement:
The North Penn School District is aware of the recent article referencing an alarming incident on a school bus. When the alleged act occurred, the bus driver intervened immediately and then reported the matter to NPSD administration. Parents and the authorities were contacted immediately. The bus assistant involved was also contacted that day and he resigned immediately.
NPSD’s first priority is the safety of our students. We were extremely alarmed by this incident and immediately involved the authorities due to the nature of the report. We will continue to work with local law enforcement to support the prosecution of this case. Additionally, we continue to support the family and the student involved in this situation.
Editor's note: this article was updated at 10:52 a.m. to reflect comment from North Penn School District.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
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