A review of bus video footage by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) determined that a recent incident aboard a Wards Creek Elementary School bus, which left one student with a facial cut, was not an act of violence.
According to an SJSO statement, the video shows several students engaging in “mutual horseplay” when one child was struck in the head with an empty backpack, causing a “small laceration.”
The agency said the probe, conducted with the State Attorney’s Office, found no evidence of intent to cause harm or injury, and therefore no crime was committed.
Authorities said they attempted to meet with the injured student’s mother, Ashleigh Sargent, to show her the video and discuss the findings, but she declined or failed to meet with them.
Sargent was not immediately available to comment on the department’s determination, but she told outlets that she was not contacted by investigators to assess the footage.
The incident, which occurred last Thursday afternoon, drew attention after Sargent described what she believed was an attack on her 10-year-old son, Grayson.
In an interview with The Citizen, she said she arrived at the bus to find her son bleeding and distraught. “There was blood everywhere,” Sargent said, recalling that paramedics were called to evaluate the injury, which was ultimately deemed minor. “I thought we needed to get to a hospital.”
Sargent said she remains concerned about her son’s emotional well-being and the school’s handling of the situation, asserting that the other student should have been removed from the school.
“I don’t want to ruin anyone’s life,” Sargent said. “That’s not what I am trying to do here. But I also don’t want this to happen to another child. My son did nothing wrong, and now he’s the one missing school.”
The St. Johns County School District said that the Wards Creek Elementary administration and district transportation department conducted their own investigation.
“Appropriate disciplinary actions have been taken in alignment with the Student Code of Conduct, and behavior that interferes with student safety and wellbeing will not be tolerated,” said Chief of Staff Paul Abbatinozzi in a statement.
Sargent, who said other parents have contacted her with concerns about the same student, maintains the matter was more serious than horseplay.
