Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Police were dispatched shortly after 7:30 a.m. Dec. 19 to Emerson Academy, a charter school at 501 Hickory St., on a report that a DPS bus driver had been assaulted.
“The defendant drove her car next to the bus, entered it, angrily accusing the driver of purposely … not picking her son up and taking the son to school. Instantly, the defendant started attacking the victim by striking her face with a closed fist. This occurred only seconds after the defendant arrived and as the students watched all of this in horror,” Heck said.
The children had just gotten off the bus, but were standing in front of it while the 45-year-old woman was attacked, he said.
“This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable, goes against everything we stand for as a community, goes against everything we stand for as parents,” Heck said.
David Lawrence, DPS interim superintendent, previously said Franklin’s son was not at the bus stop.
“After waiting approximately one minute with no sign of the children, the driver closed the door and proceeded with the route. After reviewing all available footage, the district can conclude the driver did nothing wrong and followed all district protocols,” he said.
Lawrence also called the assault unacceptable and said the district will not tolerate any behavior that puts bus driver’s at risk.
Chrisondra Goodwine, DPS board president, said previously the driver’s attack “cannot be swept under the rug.”
“These individuals are civil servants and they should be treated with the utmost respect. … We’re doing everything that we can to protect our drivers, as well as create deterrence for individuals who want to cross that line,” she said.
Franklin also has a misdemeanor aggravated menacing case pending in Dayton Municipal Court.
“The allegation is that she brandished and pointed a gun at another person during an argument involving one of her other children,” Heck said. “This defendant clearly is a violent offender.”
She is free on $50,000 bond.
Staff writer Eileen McClory contributed to this report.
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