One of the women who allegedly attacked a 13-year-old Denton ISD student on a school bus last month is now facing charges.
Traveonna Mays, a 21-year-old Denton resident, was booked into the local jail on Thursday on charges of injury to a child. Her bond is set at $7,500. Mays reportedly turned herself in after police issued a warrant for her arrest.
As previously covered by The Dallas Express, a student at Bettye Myers Middle School reported to school officials that she had heard rumors that another student, whom she did not know, had threatened to beat her up.
Later that day, as the bus was leaving the school, another student attacked the victim, who CBS News Texas identified only as “Nicole.” Nicole said she fought back to defend herself. Two women who had boarded the bus also joined in the attack.
After the women exited the bus, they followed the bus to Nicole’s stop, where they again allegedly attacked the eighth-grader, punching and kicking her, pulling her hair, and putting her in a chokehold. Fellow students captured both attacks on their cell phones. Video purportedly shows the bus driver driving away as the attack continued.
The two women involved were reportedly the mother and sister of the student attacker.
Following the incident, the district told CBS that the student attacker would not be returning to campus. However, Nicole also received three days of suspension for fighting back.
The district sent the following statement to CBS:
“This horrible video depicts unacceptable conduct Denton ISD never condones, including an adult unlawfully boarding a school bus … Per district policy, the driver immediately called dispatch and requested law enforcement. Drivers are not authorized to use their personal cell phones while on the bus to ensure safety. Police responded to this incident, and this is currently an ongoing, active investigation by the Denton Police Department centered around an adult unlawfully boarding the bus and injuring a child.”
Police have not announced whether they will press charges against the student involved in the attack. Nicole’s mother told CBS that, while they were pleased with Mays’ arrest, they want both adult suspects arrested.
Though Nicole was shaken up and traumatized by the attack, she has since returned to school, and district officials noted they were making special accommodations for her to feel safe. Nicole is allowed to leave a classroom or hallway at any time and can come to the office if she feels uncomfortable.
This latest incident in Denton ISD follows other instances in North Texas of adults physically assaulting students in recent years.
In 2022, two female parents boarded a school bus in Weatherford ISD and involved themselves in an altercation between students. They ended up assaulting a minor, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
In another instance, a Dallas ISD staff member allegedly punched a student in the face at Justin F. Kimball High School last year. However, charges in that incident were ultimately dropped this February.
