Father says daughter was sexually assaulted on bus
JACKSON, Mich. (WLNS) – A father is demanding answers after he says his 11-year-old daughter with special needs was sexually assaulted on a Jackson Public Schools school bus.
The father, David Heileman, said it happened last Tuesday.
He said his daughter Arreyonna got home from school and started complaining about pain in her private area.
The next day, Heileman said he got a call from the school saying she had been inappropriately touched on the bus. He said he asked the school for more information, but they didn’t give any.
“I trusted the schools with my child and, you know, look at the type of things that happen,” Heileman said.
He feels like he’s being passed off from one person to another.
“It’s been a real mess, trying to figure it out,” he said. “I just wish there was more they could do for our kids. It just feels like they’re trying to sweep it under the rug and I’m not for that.”
He said that Arreyonna is in the fifth grade at Dibble Elementary and in previous years she’s ridden a special needs school bus. But this year she’s been riding the general public school bus.
“The thing is my kid wasn’t safe and if my kid wasn’t safe, these other kids aren’t safe on that,”Heileman said.
He said he took her to the hospital to get checked out and has filed a police report.
Jackson Police confirmed they are in the middle of an ongoing investigation. Heileman said his daughter will not be returning to the bus, or the school.
“She’s not getting back on your guy’s transportation. If that’s happening on your transportation what else is happening on them,” Heileman said.
6 News spoke with the superintendent of Jackson Public Schools Jeff Beal. He said the district is working with police and that he has no further comment due to the ongoing investigation.
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