Bus driver, monitor arrested in connection to abuse bond out of jail

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Seminole County bus driver and a monitor who were both arrested in connection to abuse charges bonded out of jail shortly after their incarcerations, records show.

James Blanton, 73, was charged with child abuse without great bodily harm. He is accused of using a police maneuver – twisting the elbow and wrist of the teenager behind the back and toward the sky – causing the teen to cry out in pain.

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Deputies said the teenager was nonverbal and strapped into their seat, and wasn’t causing a disturbance. Video evidence showed Blanton pulled the maneuver twice in the span of a few minutes, investigators said. Officials were notified because a student filmed the second occurrence.

Read: Seminole County school bus driver, monitor arrested after allegations of child abuse, district says

Bus monitor Lisa Florio, 61, was sitting one row behind the student and was also arrested, according to a case report. Despite receiving annual training about child abuse and believing Blanton’s moves were excessive and clearly painful to the student, she did not report the incident, the report said.

Blanton bonded out of jail after paying $5,000, while Florio received a $2,000 bond. Neither answered the door when WFTV knocked Friday.

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Deputies are not releasing either of the videos, citing an ongoing investigation. They said the next step would be to review videos from previous days on that bus to see if abuse had happened other times. If so, more charges could be coming.

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