Evelyn Guzman CT Bus Driver with 1000+ Texts Seeking Court Rehab: Tell Judge NO!
Jennifer Davila plead guilty in the case involving injury to my daughter Bella on 4/1. (I went into slight detail about the story at the end of my book.) Davila's mother was arrested for texting over 1000 times, as seen on the video surveillance tapes during the Davila investigation. She is going to seek a court rehab program for first time offenders - and I am asking for your help to prevent that. None of us should fear that a bus driver might kill our children or anyone else on the road.
I created a PETITION so that I can hand deliver your message to the judge next week. Guzman should not walk away without a record. Thank you.
I'm Kim Stagliano. Last May my daughter then 9 year old Bella was assaulted on her school bus by the bus monitor. Bella has autism and does not speak. The monitor plead guilty to her charges today, 4/1. Her MOTHER Evelyn Guzman (in photo) was the bus driver - and during review of video tape from the bus, was caught TEXTING while driving the special ed bus - over 1000 texts in 4 weeks. See story here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20044594-504083.html
Guzman is appealing to Bridgeport Court for a "rehab" program that will prevent her from having a record. I do not want her to walk away FREE.
We need to tell the judge NO - our children deserve safety. YOU deserve safety as you drive or simply get your mail from your mail box.
Please sign the PETITION, which I will share with the judge on 4/8. You can reach me at KimStagliano@gmail. Please share with friends and family. Thank you. Bella's Mom.
I have seen hired aides hit a nonverbal child after stopping the ride and getting out of the car and hitting the small child in the face making the child look horrified at the woman who hit him and cry with his face red from the side that was hit and it is not just aides on rides but, other trusted adults around nonverbal children or adults; we need court ordered cams on these so called trusted helpers at all times and let the cameras speak for the child/adult who cannot and remove the abusers. It would also help if funding was available for assisted devices that allow a nonverbal child or adult to communicate with pictures because, there are devices but, they are not easy to pay for and just like a wheel chair a speaking device is in another way valid in importance. Ev eryone of us would hate to be a victum over and over again just because we couldn't write, speak or sign to tell and if anyone of us one day had a stroke it could happen so this law should be considerred important.
Posted by: mitzi feldman | April 05, 2011 at 02:22 PM
Hi Kim.
"Thank you David."
Very welcome. I'm the autistic parent of an autistic child. I know how I'd fell - hell, how I have felt which she has been treated unjustly; also how I have felt myself in the same situation (Finland is not the most just of countries, nor is it the most socially responsible one either - one ought not believe the crap they publish on the state's websites ... living here shows it to be bovine manure).
"There's always common ground and children's safety is an area on which we can all agree."
Yep. Absolutely.
"Not to mention every driver near that bus and even people just minding their business in town and taking a walk or picking up their own mail. She could have killed a whole lot of people. It's really disturbing."
Yes. The woman was clearly out of order, and there's no doubt about that. As for any 'rehabilitation' issues there - I'm not sure. This isn't an issue I'd think that offender rehabilitation would actually work with: this isn't something that would normally trigger off a rehabilitation order. Dunno about the US systems, really; but this would not fly in Finland. This is about dangerous driving and physical assault. Numerous potential victims in the one scenario and one definite victim in the other, and none of them in a position to defend themselves against what this woman was doing. Guzman allowed her daughter to assault yours... she's as much a part of that assault as her daughter is.
"I appreciate your show of support very much."
As I say, Kim, you're very welcome. I should blog sometime about the recklessness of town child and adolescent psychiatry unit staff and how they tried to take my daughter into hospital - purely because she is autistic. The good thing at the time in this case was that I was actually working in a psychiatric unit myself and, because of that any my considerable expertise in psychological development (and also my not-inconsiderable command of the Finnish language when it comes to defending my child's rights), my ex-wife and I managed to demonstrate in a very large case conference the incredible recklessness and willful ignorance evidence on the part of the C&A psychiatry staff.
Our children, Kim - we move mountains if we have to. For them.
Still wishing you the best as you try to move this one.
Posted by: David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E. | April 05, 2011 at 05:29 AM
I signed. I believe it is now up to 655. I really hope that the judge listens and throws the book at her.
Posted by: Carolyn M | April 04, 2011 at 08:38 PM
Thank you David. There's always common ground and children's safety is an area on which we can all agree. Not to mention every driver near that bus and even people just minding their business in town and taking a walk or picking up their own mail. She could have killed a whole lot of people. It's really disturbing. I appreciate your show of support very much.
Best,
KIM
Posted by: Stagmom for David Andrews | April 04, 2011 at 08:29 PM
Much as I have serious problems with Age of Autism's agenda, this situation described here absolutely infuriates me. Kim, I am sorry that this has been happening to your daughter. It's out-and-out wrong. I wish you and her and your family strength to get something done properly. Someone once told me that the best therapy is justice. And that also I wish for you.
Posted by: David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E. | April 04, 2011 at 08:07 PM
I signed--and I also posted it on my facebook page.
Posted by: Taximom | April 03, 2011 at 09:00 PM
Offender(s) need full prosecution. Rehab is also necessary but they should be barred from working or being close to children. Too many cases have gone unnoticed and many are happennig now which we will never find out.
Posted by: Celia Heyman | April 03, 2011 at 02:13 PM
Signed it.
Where do they find these people?!?!?! There's no excuse or rehab available for being cruel to a victim who can't defend herself.
Living the consequences of their actions is the only way these people learn their lessons. If they don't pay any consequences for their actions, it doesn't mean they won't do it again; all it teaches them is that they have to be more careful not to get caught next time. The crime escalates, the more and more they see they can get away with.
Posted by: ML Garcia | April 03, 2011 at 07:37 AM
Rehabilitation is important. But so is the need for this person to have a record so that another bus company does not put children in the same situation.
Posted by: Jim Thompson | April 03, 2011 at 03:52 AM
I signed and so sad to see I was only #306. Please take the time to sign the petition.
Posted by: Kristi | April 02, 2011 at 10:33 PM
Signed it.
So there is rehab for being a dumbass now? Good to know.
Posted by: Kristine | April 02, 2011 at 10:29 PM
I signed the petition. What the hell is wrong with this judge??? These children cannot speak for themselves. We ARE their voices. I am going threw a similar situation and I will go to the end to find out what has happened to my child. My litle girl is non-verbal and is the same age as Bella. I give Kim credit. I do not think I could hold back, facing her. Dawn proud Mom of Tatum
Posted by: Dawn Gullage | April 02, 2011 at 05:10 PM
That is some mother-daughter tag team. The daughter deliberately hurts a sweet, beautiful, little girl on a bus, and the mother texts while driving the very same bus with passenger children inside. Just when you think this real life story can't get much worse-- it does.
This is just sickening. Heart sickening. Was the bus driver even fired for endangering the lives of her passengers repeatedly?
Posted by: Not an MD | April 02, 2011 at 05:00 PM
I echo the comment by "outraged" below.
Indeed what is the point of a background check?
I hope the judge overseeing the case will have no sympathy for this woman.
She appears to demonstrate little true remorse or sympathy for the children whose lives she recklessly endangered and was responsible for protecting.
Asking or even expecting "texting rehab?" Are you kidding me? How about begging to do thousands of hours of community service in addition to serving a jail sentence and never being allowed to work around children again.
A record is the minimum this lady deserves, as well as jail time. Without a consequence with a significant cost borne for her actions, what kind of message does it send, what kind of deterrent would that be for someone else in a similar position, who god forbid ,might do something else equally egregious? Evelyn certainly demonstrated capacity enough for multi-tasking, by sending texts and driving, so she cannot by any means argue that she was overburdened with the responsibility of driving and thus unable to keep control of her daughter.
So sorry that you and your family had to endure this, and thank you for such courage in pursuing this modicum of justice.
Posted by: Jean | April 02, 2011 at 04:52 PM
Signed. Your daughter is so beautiful! What is she doing with her hands? Is that just a random gesture, or does it mean something?
Posted by: Twyla | April 02, 2011 at 03:50 PM
I signed it. I added this in the comments section:
The responsibility of those charged with transporting, teaching and providing services for the most vulnerable people in our society, the disabled and developmentally delayed, is one that should be not only assumed with the utmost professionalism, but also with empathy and a motivating desire to always put the needs of the affected individual first.
Posted by: Samsdad | April 02, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Signed and wrote: "Our children certainly don't get the "rehab" they deserve. Why on Earth would anyone sentence these low life scumbags to "rehab" instead of prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law. They abused disabled children while putting their lives in danger. If they get off with "rehab" then that just means that the judge who makes that decision cares less about these children than these two idiots. There should be no leniency where endangering and abusing children is concerned, period."
Posted by: Chris O'Connell | April 02, 2011 at 10:04 AM
As I wrote in my comment on the petition, if this reckless behavior does not go on Ms. Guzman's record, then background checks are meaningless.
Posted by: outraged | April 02, 2011 at 09:27 AM
Done! Zero tolerance to texting school bus drivers!
Posted by: Pamela | April 02, 2011 at 09:24 AM
Texting rehab?
I signed the petition....what an outrage!
TJ
Posted by: TJ | April 02, 2011 at 09:01 AM