South Bend mom upset after school bus fight

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - A mother is outraged after she says her 13-year-old daughter was attacked on a South Bend school bus Friday morning.

Fredricka Higgins says the cell phone video another student captured speaks for itself.

"She swung at me first, and her mom, they just holding me down, punching me in my eye and stuff like that," said Higgins' daughter, Ayanna Washington.

“There’s the mom I believe who’s hitting my daughter on the top of her head with keys in her hand," said Fredricka. “Now where’s the bus driver during all this?"

ABC 57 asked the South Bend Community School Corporation what the policy is for bus drivers during a fight like this one and did not receive an answer.

"When my daughter’s on the bus, I expect for her to be protected. I expect for her to be safe. I had to pick her up from the safety of a police officer," said Higgins.

As upsetting as it was to find red marks and bruises on her daughter's face, Fredricka says she was glad that's as far as it went.

“Well one of her statements flat out to my daughter on the bus was you’re lucky I didn’t shoot at you’re a**...It could have been rest in peace Ayanna this morning," she said.

Later that day, she was not happy to get a phone call from the director of transportation.

The voicemail, in part, went as follows:

“There was a situation on the school bus this morning as you are aware I’m sure. As a result, Ayanna...will not be able to ride the school bus for the remainder of the year."

“Not once did I get is your daughter okay? Are you okay? Instead, you’re calling to inform me that she’s expelled from the bus, which I don’t care for her to ride anymore, because obviously she’s not safe," said Fredricka.

After losing trust in the school, she's pleading with parents to be the source of safety.

“Let’s raise our children a little better than this. Let them have a little respect for themselves, others, and authority for that matter," said Fredricka.

ABC 57 also asked South Bend Schools what their policy is for letting non-students on a school bus and received no answer.

A spokesman did provide a brief statement, saying in part, that they're working with law enforcement to investigate.