Joliet woman charged with battery after altercation with child on school bus

Joliet — A Joliet woman is charged with battery after boarding a school bus and allegedly getting into an altercation with a child on the bus.

Shantell Thompson, 32, of Joliet was arrested after an incident took place Nov. 13 in which she boarded a school bus transporting students to Hufford Junior High School and allegedly grabbed an 11-year-old boy after he approached her and cursed at her, Joliet police said.

“It is believed that as the 11-year-old victim approached Thompson, she grabbed him by his hooded sweatshirt and pushed him away. Thompson then exited the bus. Thompson indicated to officers that she did grab the child by his clothing after he had approached her,” police said in a news release.

Thompson is due to appear in court Dec. 4.

It is unclear what prompted the incident, but the grandmother of the boy, Toniqua Sheppard, told The Herald-News that Thompson and her daughter – the boy’s mother – live in the same apartment building, and her grandson and Thompson’s son are friendly.

“All children aren’t always angels,” Sheppard said. “Eleven-year-old boys are gonna fight. I guess they weren’t getting along, but the parents shouldn’t get involved. Kids are kids. We’re adults. Nothing constitutes a reason to put hands on somebody, especially a child.”

Sheppard said she and her daughter want to see the bus company, First Student, held accountable for allowing Thompson on the bus and not intervening more during the incident.

Sheppard said her grandson and other students who witnessed the incident reported that there were three adults on the bus, the driver and two monitors.

Sheppard said she was told one of the monitors intervened when Thompson grabbed the boy.

“When the monitor stepped in, [Thompson] was told to get off the bus, and my grandson said he wanted his mom,” Sheppard said. “[Thompson] never should have been on the bus, and she should have been the first one off the bus.”

First Student has not responded to The Herald-News’ requests for comment.

After the incident, Sheppard said she and her daughter took the boy to school, and he gave a statement to the Hufford Junior High School principal about the incident.

Joliet Public Schools District 86 confirmed the incident on a bus but has not offered further comment on the situation.

Sheppard said the district has accommodated the situation by providing a van for her grandson to take to school instead of the bus, but she noted that in the week since the incident, he has missed it several times, preferring to be driven to school by his mother or grandmother.

“My grandson is afraid. He’s been traumatized by what happened, but I work, and his mom works, and we can’t always accommodate his needs,” she said.

Sheppard said she does not know how long the van accommodation will last, and she wants answers from First Student.

“I’ve tried to deal with them, but they won’t give me any answers. They won’t tell me why [Thompson] was allowed on the bus and why nobody intervened,” she said, noting that she is “seeking an attorney.”

“First Student put my grandson in harm’s way,” she said. “Suing them wouldn’t be about the money. It’s about standing up for what’s right. Somebody’s got to be held accountable for this. It can’t just be swept under the rug.”