Add another one to the list.
A bus aide at a Martin County, FL middle school has apologized after video was released that backs up a middle school student’s account of his Trump hat being forcibly removed last week.
CBS12 reports:
In the video, the bus assistant yells at Gunnar Johansson about his hat. He wore a “Make America Great Again” hat to school on Tuesday since it was Hat Day.
Johansson explained how he paid $1 to wear the hat in support of a charity, March of Dimes. He explained how he walked on the bus on Tuesday morning and was immediately yelled at by the bus aide. He was questioned why several times, especially since there were others with hats on sitting in the school bus.
When the bus driver yells at Johansson to take the hat off repeatedly, he asks why a few times and says no a few more.
[…]
He said when he refused to take the hat off, the bus aide ripped the hat off of his head. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the bus video shows that happening.
Johansson’s mother went to a higher authority after not getting satisfaction from the school:
His mother, Jackie Putt said she went to the school and spoke to the principal after other parents told her about the incident.
“I needed to know what my son just went through and what she did to my son,” Putt said.
Putt learned she would not be able to see surveillance video of the incident until the school district’s investigation is complete, so she went to police.
Watch WPTV‘s report on this story below, which includes video from the incident in question:
BREAKING: School bus aid in Florida pulls MAGA hat off teen’s head.. pic.twitter.com/xs59ZORGFE
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) March 8, 2019
In an apology written on a witness statement form, the bus aide claims she “gently took [the hat] off” Johansson’s head:
This is the written statement from the #martincounty bus aide at the center of the #trump #MAGA hat controversy. She apologizes for what she did. Other reports show she was personally offended by the hat, leading her to grab it off of a student. @WPTV pic.twitter.com/FwGaeLWWXh
— Meghan McRoberts (@MeghanWPTV) March 9, 2019
You know what I think would be neat? If Trump held a campaign event and invited everyone who has reportedly been on the receiving end of of these MAGAphobia incidents. Maybe even have Chick-fil-A cater the event.
It wouldn’t stop them from happening, but it would certainly be a thumb in the eye to those who think they’re going to silence disagreement by using force.
Johansson said that since the confrontation he has not seen the aide on the bus.
It’s not clear if the bus aide will face any disciplinary action.
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—Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter.–
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