Middle schooler choked by driver as he tries to get off school bus, Indiana cops say

A bus driver was arrested after police say she choked a middle school student, Indiana media reports say.

Leslie Sea, 53, was arrested March 6, weeks after the alleged incident in Pike Township, court records show. She was charged with strangulation and battery resulting in bodily injury.

The driver told police she tried to stop the middle school boy from getting off the bus on Feb. 1 when she had to reroute because of a crash, according to WTHR. She grabbed the student to prevent him from exiting the bus, the TV station reported.

She said she attacked the student to defend herself, but a witness said it was the student who was defending himself, according to WTHR.

Surveillance tapes show Sea grabbing the student by the arm and then grabbing his throat, WRTV reported.

“She grabbed him by the neck, pushed him onto the seats,” the boy’s mother told WXIN. “Put her hands around his neck and started squeezing and scratching. The other students were trying to pull her off.”

Sea applied pressure to the victim, which impeded his breathing and blood circulation, according to an affidavit.

The boy had bruises and scratches along his throat, court records show.

Larry Young, the Superintendent of Pike Township Metropolitan School District, told WXIN that Sea has been placed on administrative leave.

“The MSD of Pike Township prioritizes student and staff safety,” the district said in a statement to WTHR. “Incidents involving staff, students, or members of our school community falling short of our human dignity and safety expectations are addressed immediately.”

Sea is due in court Tuesday, March 21.

Pike Township is a northwest suburb of Indianapolis.

This story was originally published March 15, 2023 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Middle schooler choked by driver as he tries to get off school bus, Indiana cops say."