Two Hillsborough County Public Schools employees in Florida face charges after horrific abuse of a 10-year-old autistic boy on a school bus at Caminiti Exceptional School. Juanita Wright, 79 (bus aide), was charged with 14 counts of child abuse for repeatedly striking the minimally verbal child with autism and ADHD—hitting his head, pulling hair, and wrestling away his backpack—over 14 days from October 2 to November 14, 2025. Tonya Rice-Constant, 62 (driver), faces failure to report child abuse for laughing at the incidents without intervening.
Investigation Timeline
A witness reported the abuse on November 14, 2025, after spotting Wright hit the boy while parked. Detectives reviewed bus video on November 18, confirming the acts, then found 13 more dates on December 23. Wright claimed it was “jokeful” and “playful,” but Sheriff Chad Chronister called it “prolonged cruelty” and a “betrayal of trust.”
School Response
Wright (hired 2012) was removed in November, then fired; Rice-Constant retired amid the probe. The district stressed student safety training and full cooperation with law enforcement.
This case exposes vulnerabilities for special needs students relying on caregivers.
