School bus driver faces 30 counts of child abuse after 'intentionally slamming on brakes'

A school bus driver is facing 30 counts of child abuse after he allegedly slammed on the brakes to teach elementary children a lesson about staying in their seats. 

Camera footage from inside the bus shows some of the youngsters being thrown into the seats in front of them after the driver appears to brake suddenly. 

Substitute bus driver Brian Fitzgerald had recently started driving for the Douglas County School District when the incident occurred the afternoon of March 1.

The 61-year-old was transporting Castle Rock Elementary students ranging from kindergarten to 6th grade home from school at 3.45pm. 

Fitzgerald now faces 30 misdemeanor counts of child abuse, including one charge for child abuse with bodily injuries, for his actions.

In camera footage from inside the bus, Fitzgerald can be heard sternly telling students to stay in their seats, before saying: 'You guys want to see how dangerous that is?'

Seconds later, the driver appears to suddenly hit the brakes, slamming some children into the seats in front of them.

The CCTV footage confirms he was driving at 9 miles per hour when he suddenly stopped. 

Fitzgerald then said: 'Do you get that? That's why you need to be in your seats. Turn around and sit down properly.'

Some of the kids appeared distressed by the the incident, with one saying, 'Oh my god,' and another saying, 'Why did he do that? Are you okay?'

The footage even shows one child picking up a cell phone and making a call, saying: 'The bus driver hit the brakes, and somebody got hurt so badly and is, like, bleeding on the cheek.'

At a stop later on the route, a parent can be seen speaking to the driver about what happened. 

'Is she alright?' Fitzgerald asked the parent.

'Yeah, she was hurt though. Might go easy on the brakes,' the parent responded.

'They were bouncing all over the place and I was coming to a stop, and I hit the brakes hard because they were running all over the place,' Fitzgerald responded. 

Lauren Thomason, a parent of one of the students on the bus, told KRDO that she was 'scared to death' by the incident.

My son came tearing the through the door that afternoon,' she said. 'He sprinted all the way home. He was out of breath and red-faced and absolutely sobbing and shaking. He was terrified.'

She said she was particularly concerned as her son had suffered a concussion a few weeks prior. 

'I know not all the kids on the bus had a concussion, but instantly I'm like, okay, do we need to go to the E.R.? What's happening? Who is this person? This is not the regular bus driver,' she added. 

The concerned mother added she is preparing for her son to testify if the criminal case against Fitzgerald goes to trial. 

Parent Lauren Thomason said she was 'scared to death' by the incident in March

Substitute bus driver Brian Fitzgerald had recently started driving for the district 

An internal district investigation found Fitzgerald did 'brake check the students' 

Fitzgerald expressed his concerns about a 'pattern of improper student management'

A Douglas County School District spokesperson confirmed he no longer works for the district

In a letter to Douglas County School District which is dated March 1, obtained by KRDO, Fitzgerald apologized, but expressed his concerns about 'a repetitive historical pattern of improper student management.'

He wrote: 'I am sincerely sorry for my choice of actions today in my efforts of training students. I am still 100% responsible for my actions in trying to both educate and control students on the bus. Being a new driver, I did not make the best decision and if I were able to redo what I did I would rethink my decisions.' 

Records from Douglas County Schools show the district investigated the incident, finding 'it's clear the driver did brake check the students'.

A Douglas County School District spokesperson confirmed to DailyMail.com that he is no longer working for the district.  

Public Information Officer Paula Hans, said: 'The video is incredibly difficult to watch. Riding a bus to and from school should be a happy, enjoyable experience for students. The behavior and actions of this bus driver are completely unacceptable. 

'We are so grateful to the parents and the principal who reported this incident, allowing us to take swift action and ensure this driver was never again allowed behind the wheel of a DCSD bus.'

A misdemeanor complaint was filed against Fitzgerald on April 12. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on May 12.