A New Jersey school bus aide was sent to prison after being convicted of child endangerment in the death of a disabled girl who choked on her harness while the aide was distracted by her phone.
On July 17, 2023, 6-year-old Fajr Williams, a nonverbal child with special needs, was strapped into her wheelchair on a school bus heading to Claremont Elementary in Somerset, NBC New York reported.
As the bus hit bumps in the road, she slumped down, causing her harness to tighten around her neck, cutting off her breathing. Meanwhile, school bus aide Amanda Davila, responsible for supervising the children, was on her phone listening to music and browsing Instagram.
By the time the bus arrived, Fajr was unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the hospital. Prosecutors argued that Davila's negligence directly led to the girl's death.
During the trial, video evidence showed that Davila never looked up for nearly the entire 30-minute ride, failing to notice Fajr's distress. Despite her claims that she wasn't properly trained in securing wheelchairs, prosecutors provided records of required monthly training sessions.
The jury convicted Davila of child endangerment but acquitted her of aggravated and reckless manslaughter, reducing her potential prison sentence from 20 years to three. At sentencing, the judge stated that Davila "had one job" and failed to prevent a completely avoidable tragedy.
Following Davila's sentencing, Fajr's mother, Najmah Nash, expressed dissatisfaction with the length of the prison term but remained focused on advocating for increased bus aide training.
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