The family of a 5-year-old Brookhaven boy left alone on a school bus for hours is taking legal action against the city’s school district.

Attorney Gerard Mumford told WLBT he is seeking punitive damages against the Brookhaven School District. He represents the boy’s mother, Shameaka Washington.

Family members say Germani Washington, age 5, woke up alone on the bus on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, crying and screaming to get off.

After six hours on the bus, someone in the bus barn heard him and let him off, according to Mumford.

The attorney said the boy is now traumatized to the point where he wets the bed, among other things.

“He is not the same child that he work up on Nov. 2, so we’re here to give full acknowledgement publicly that we’re going full force at the Brookhaven School District and that someone needs to pay for these actions,” Mumford said.

The attorney has requested all records and surveillance videos from that day.

Brookhaven School District Superintendent Rod Henderson said on Nov. 7 that there had been an issue with a child left temporarily on a bus, and a personnel issue that was handled.

“That’s about it,” Henderson said, “and no one was instructed not to talk about it.”

The superintendent said the district does require drivers to check their buses at the end of each route to ensure no child is still on board.

“I can say that the child was fine, but since it’s a student and personnel issue I can’t comment more than that,” Henderson said.

 

WLBT staff contributed to this story.