Dax Vestal is a ten year old little boy who is non-verbal and autistic. With this diagnosis come significant needs. A typical public school is not equipped to support him in his education. Due to this, our home district of Littleton Public Schools sent out a referral for a private facility school who is more than capable to support and aid Dax in his academic journey, The Joshua School. While The Joshua School is not connected to Littleton Public Schools in any way, LPS is responsible for accommodating transportation to and from school for students within their district. Thus, our sweet Dax began to ride LPS Rt. #L76 in September of 2023

​

The paraprofessional on the bus, as well as the bus driver became very friendly with Jess Vestal, Dax's mom. The paraprofessional would text Jess when they were close by or running late, as a friendly courtesy. They would often exchange messages about great parks nearby, and fun things to do with kids locally. 

​

In January 2024 Jess received a text message from the paraprofessional stating the staff member that got Dax to the bus that day seemed to have made Dax upset, and described Dax running away from him, pushing him, and dropping to the ground. This was not typical behavior for Dax and concerned Jess. When Dax arrived home his mother observed significant bruising all over his body. Including large bruises on his inner thighs, bruising all over his rib cage, and armpit area, his clavicle, and significant bruising on the backside of his left arm. Due to the communication received about the staff member at school upsetting Dax, Jess immediately believed this staff member had done something to Dax to cause these injuries. 

​

There were meetings held at the school, extremely strict rules put into place not allowing this staff member to work with Dax again, rules in writing about who is allowed to help him to the bathroom or be alone with him, as well as staff interviews conducted by the school. The school also took it upon themselves to conduct mandatory training to ensure every staff member was up to date on how to properly support students. The school contacted the bus to have them watch the bus footage to see of anything that would have caused injury happening on the ride to or from school. To which LPS said, we watched the ride home and nothing was out of the ordinary. With this we began rigorously documenting any bump, scrape, bruise, red mark etc., to make sure every incident was accounted for and all parties were aware of its origin. 

​

With all of moms efforts to communicate with the Joshua school, and the Joshua Schools efforts in documentation, there were still several days that had unexplained marks, as well as behaviors. Such as scratches, gum being embedded in the nape of his hair line- to the scalp, a black eye that was explained away by the paraprofessional as Dax hitting himself with a toy on the bus, thigh bruising, a missing tooth, and many many days of mom reporting to the school Dax woke up in a great mood, but arrives to school weeping and inconsolable for hours. Dax's experience with autism in the last 6 months has looked like a lot of severe meltdowns, severe behaviors, and unexplained mood swings. Unfortunately with a nonverbal child they cannot communicate the 'why' behind their behavior. This traumatic string of events has nailed down and proven that behavior is communication. 

​

As most of these injuries or events were written off as self- inflicted (scratching his own arm, hitting his own legs, putting gum in his own hair, or missing a tooth that was loose and went unnoticed somehow) but still heavily documented, March 18th was the final flag. Dax came home from school and took his socks and shoes off right away. That is when Jess saw the bruises. His entire left foot was covered in bruising. It looked as if someone dropped a bowling ball on it. He also had a cut/bruise on his left ear and cheek, and significant bruising to his left thigh. Jess immediately notified the school. Angry. Wanting answers. The school stated that at the end of the day (2:45) they put his socks and shoes on and those marks were absolutely not there, that maybe something took place on the bus. Frustrated with a lack of explanation, she reached out via text to the paraprofessional and asked if Dax had done anything on the bus that could have lead to these marks. She assured her that she didn't think so, but sometimes he sits on his foot. Jess informed the paraprofessional that she was going to have the transportation director pull the bus footage so the school could see nothing happened on the bus. Jess sent an email that night to the director. 

​

The paraprofessional knew she had been caught at this point, and did not come to work the following day. At 11:30 am the following day, March 19th, 2024, Jess received a call from the Littleton Police Department. They had informed her that they had the video footage and have enough to charge the paraprofessional with abuse. Jess was completely blindsided by this, as the women on the bus were people she trusted. She bought gifts for them at holidays, and even made the paraprofessional tea when she fell ill. She had to see for herself what happened. 

​

That brings us to the footage nearly everyone has seen now. That short two minute clip was a part of a 45 minute long bus ride Dax endured Monday-Friday from September to March. Imagine the torment. The torture of waking up every day, a ten year old non verbal little boy knowing you were going to get up out of your warm bed, take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and hold your moms hand as she walked you out to the bus you would be strapped into and abused on for 45 minutes before getting off and expected to be productive at school, and be unable to tell anyone what you were going through. The emotional warfare is unimaginable. It's vile, and disgusting. This sweet, loving child was stripped of his happiness, well being, safety, education, emotional regulation, and so much more, at the hands of this excuse of a woman, and by the negligence of LPS. Had they actually watched the footage in January when they were asked, they could have stopped this then. Had they ever bothered to watch it thereafter, they could have stopped this. They had every opportunity, a new one each day, to protect the children in their care and didn't feel their safety was worth the work to sit and watch a video. 

​

After Jess's discovery, regardless of LPS's inaction, she sprung into action. Immediately contacted the Joshua School and informed them of what horrible nightmare she now knew to be truth. She instructed them to please give her information to other parents of students on the bus so they could reach her with any questions, and make sure all other students were safe and off of the bus. She held a parent meeting where she shared the footage with them, and showed them all of Dax's injuries over the months to compare to their own children's, should they have any. 

​

Because of this Jess was able to connect with two other families I'm sure you saw on the press conference. Brittany and Kevin, parents to Hunter, as well as Jessica and Blake, parents to A. Together we began this commitment to make change. Our children deserve respect, kindness, safety, and love above all else. And that is not what they have been given by Littleton Public School and their faulty hiring, and negligent inaction. So long as parents have a say, no child will have to suffer at the hands of an abusive person or system ever again. Join us in this fight to demand standards for our children, and all children like them.