Two years have passed since a 6-year-old disabled Black girl was choked to death by her harness as her school bus aide scrolled on her phone sitting in front of her. Now, the aide is facing major punishment for her lack of action.
Amanda Davila was named as the aide in question who was present during the July 17, 2023 incident. Prosecutors say it was the start of the third week of summer programs for 6-year-old Fajr Williams, who was disabled and used a wheelchair, per NBC New York. Her 14-year-old sister put her on the bus that morning. However, prosecutors said the bumpy ride on the bus caused Fajr to slump in her wheelchair, putting her in a compromising position.
Based on the video footage of the incident, prosecutors said Fajr’s four-point harness which secured her to her wheelchair tightened around her neck, causing her to struggle to breathe. Davila was seen securing her wheelchair before the bus took off but testified one of the four hooks had not been working and Fajr was missing a shoulder strap, the report says.
On the video played during Davila’s trial, the aide was seen sitting in the seat in front of the girl with her back turned and headphones in for almost the entire 30-minute ride as Fajr suffocated. She was unresponsive by the time she arrived at her program’s location, police said. When officers responded, they performed CPR but ended up rushing the girl to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
A jury found Davila guilty of child endangerment weeks ago. Now, she’s been sentenced to three years in prison. Her attorneys argued she be sentenced to probation, considering her lack of a criminal record and being a mother, the report says. However, the judge had other thoughts considering all the circumstances.
“She’s on that bus for a reason and she could have picked her head up and looked around. Had she done so, this tragedy could have been avoided,” said Judge Peter Tobin, per NBC. “There’s been death of a young girl who was particularly vulnerable.”