National Coalition For School Bus Safety

NATIONAL COALITION OF SCHOOL BUS SAFETY NEWS UP TO DEC. 2003

Abusive school bus driver caught on tape by parents
who wired 9-year-old son

Associated Press
Published May 7, 2003

MILWAUKEE -- A school bus driver faces an abuse charge after parents of a 9-year-old with Down syndrome went to authorities with a tape of the man threatening and hitting their son while trying to make him behave.

Rosemary and Vince Mutulo put a tape recorder in their son Jacob's backpack because they wanted to know more about reports he was misbehaving on the bus.

``It made me sick to my stomach. I couldn't listen to the whole thing the first time,'' Rosemary Mutulo told NBC's ``Today'' show today. ``The second time I listened to it, I just cried through it.''

The Mutulos brought the tape, recorded April 29, to officials' attention, and police arrested the driver Saturday at his home.

Brian Duchow, 28, of Milwaukee, was charged Tuesday with felony abuse of a child and misdemeanor disorderly conduct, carrying a possible maximum penalty of 61/2/ years in prison.

Duchow admitted slapping the child in anger and hitting him in the leg, according to the criminal complaint.

He told police he ``did not wind up'' when he slapped the boy and did not hit him very hard, ``but also did not hit him very soft,'' the complaint said.

The complaint notes that Jacob has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as Down syndrome.

His parents played some of the tape for reporters at a news conference late Tuesday afternoon.

The driver can be heard shouting at Jacob because the boy is making bus engine noises, yelling or doing something with his seat belt. At one point, the driver stops the bus and moves toward the boy, followed by what sounds like a hand slapping clothing.

The driver can be heard threatening to break the boy's arm and beat him, and warns, ``Stop before I beat the living hell out of you.''

The Mutulos said they hope to spark a national effort to get federal funding to put video cameras in buses to protect vulnerable children.

``These children can't speak for themselves, so we need to do it for them,'' Rosemary Mutulo told the ``Today'' show.

They also said they want state and federal legislation requiring private bus companies to release the identities of their drivers to the public so that there can be more scrutiny.

Wisconsin does not have such a requirement, though a bill to do so has been introduced in the Legislature.

When police first contacted Duchow on Saturday, he answered his door and asked, ``Is this about Jacob? He is a bad boy who is always acting up,'' the complaint said. It quoted Duchow as admitting he yelled at the boy and sometimes hit him on the leg.

During follow-up questioning the next day, Duchow said he was sorry and admitted threatening to tape the boy's mouth shut, have him taken off the bus and ``several other threats'' that he couldn't recall, according to the complaint.

On Monday, he admitted stopping the bus twice on April 29 to slap the boy, the complaint said.

Duchow began working for Specialized Care Transport of West Milwaukee at the beginning of the 2002-03 school year, according to his family.

He was released on bond after being charged.

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