A family lawsuit in LaRue Circuit Court alleges an older student sexually and physically assaulted a 7-year-old autistic, nonverbal boy on a school bus. Parents should know who the suit names, what supervision failures it claims, and how Kentucky law handles suspected abuse reports.
Shay Informed reports the case centers on repeated assaults on a district bus in Shay Informed's family lawsuit report. WVIH Kentuckiana's Web Channel reports the assaults allegedly occurred at least three times during the week of Feb. 16, 2026, in WVIH's account of the alleged week.
Official resource:
- Read the official notice from Shayinformed — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
Table of Contents
- What the filing says happened on the bus
- Who is named and what failure is alleged
- How staff learned of the abuse, according to the suit
- What the family asks the court to award
- How Kentucky law lets parents report directly
What the filing says happened on the bus
The suit describes a bus that carried middle-schoolers together with younger special-needs students. WVIH Kentuckiana's Web Channel reports the older student allegedly targeted the 7-year-old boy during morning rides.
The filing alleges at least three separate assaults during one school week. It describes both sexual and physical harm to a child who is autistic and nonverbal.
Who is named and what failure is alleged
The suit names five LaRue County school district employees as defendants. WVIH Kentuckiana's Web Channel reports the group includes the district superintendent, plus the bus driver and bus monitor. The filing claims the driver and monitor were present on at least two mornings when abuse occurred.
It alleges they failed to stop the conduct and failed to report it. The suit brings negligence claims against the driver and monitor. It brings negligence per se claims against three other employees, meaning claims that violation of a child-abuse reporting law itself establishes negligence.
How staff learned of the abuse, according to the suit
The filing alleges staff did not review bus video for four days. WVIH Kentuckiana's Web Channel reports review occurred only after another parent reported the same older student hit her child.
The filing alleges the older student admitted sexual abuse during an administrative review the next day. That sequence forms a central part of the family's claim of delayed action.
What the family asks the court to award
The family seeks a jury trial and punitive damages. WVIH Kentuckiana's Web Channel reports the suit also seeks judgment for physical, emotional, and medical expenses allegedly tied to the assaults.
Punitive damages are extra money meant to punish serious misconduct, not only repay bills. Medical expenses here mean treatment costs the family links to the alleged assaults.
How Kentucky law lets parents report directly
Kentucky law KRS 620.030 requires any person with reasonable cause to believe a child is abused to report immediately. FindLaw publishes the reporting duty in the current text of KRS 620.030.
A parent does not have to wait for a school investigation. Reports can go to one of these offices: Write down the bus number, dates, staff names, and what your child said or did before you call.
- local law enforcement or Kentucky State Police
- Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services
- a Commonwealth's attorney or county attorney