Newburgh mother says nonverbal son was ignored during school bus medical emergency
Precious Smith says surveillance video showed her 13-year-old son screaming after becoming trapped behind his wheelchair headrest during a ride to school in Sullivan County
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A Newburgh mother is speaking out after what she describes as a disturbing medical emergency involving her nonverbal, wheelchair-bound son during a school bus ride last year.
Precious Smith says her 13-year-old son, who lives in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District and attends the Center for Discovery in Monticello, became trapped behind the headrest of his wheelchair during a bus ride to school on July 6, 2025.
Smith says the position placed pressure on the boy’s feeding tube and caused significant distress during the ride from Orange County to Sullivan County.
She says she later reviewed surveillance video from the bus and alleges it showed her son screaming while being ignored by both the driver and a bus aide.
“As he’s getting stuck, nobody is helping him,” Smith told News 12. “Within that hour to two-hour drive he was stuck in that position the whole time screaming literally.”
Smith says she was never contacted by the bus company about the incident. Instead, she says she received a call from a nurse at the school after the bus arrived.
“She said, ‘We think you need to get your son checked out. He came off the bus, his clothes were soiled with blood and something had happened while he was onboard the bus,’” Smith said.
The boy requires around-the-clock care, according to his mother. She says he is nonverbal, has low muscle tone, uses a wheelchair and relies on a feeding tube.
Smith says following the incident, the school district canceled the transportation arrangement for her son’s route with Orange County Transit and assigned a different bus company. She also says the district now provides a nurse to accompany her son onboard the bus and during school hours.
However, Smith says there are times when a nurse is unavailable, causing her son to miss school.
She says she kept him home for months following the incident because she feared for his safety.
“At the end of the day it was neglect,” Smith said. “I just feel like my son and myself didn’t get the respect that was needed.”
The Newburgh school district provided News 12 with a statement saying the issue was resolved and that additional supports were put in place to meet the student’s needs.
News 12 reached out to Orange County Transit for comment but has not yet heard back.
