A South Carolina father is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly forcing a school bus off the road and attempting to board it while shouting racial slurs, following an earlier altercation between a bus monitor and his child, authorities said.
The incident began on May 22 when school officials received reports that bus monitor Sharona Ford-Cooper had allegedly physically assaulted a student who refused to stay seated, according to the Marlboro County Sheriff's Office.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed Ford-Cooper using her arm to restrain the student, leading to her arrest for third-degree assault. The student was removed from the bus and taken back to the school, where administrators called his father, Anthony Chavis.
Upon arriving at the school, Chavis allegedly became verbally abusive and used racial slurs toward staff and law enforcement. He later pursued the school bus in his vehicle, which still had 19 children on board.
Chavis reportedly used his car to force the bus off the road, struck it with his fists, tried to pry open its door and threw an object that damaged the rear window—all while five of his own children were in his own vehicle.
Chavis was arrested at his Wallace home that evening and remains in custody at the Marlboro County Detention Center. His charges include child endangerment (24 counts), interference with school bus operations and threatening the life of a public official. His bond was denied, as he was already out on bond for a separate assault case.
Ford-Cooper also remains in custody awaiting a bond hearing. The sheriff's office stated the investigation is ongoing and additional charges or arrests may follow.
Originally published on Lawyer Herald
