Fired bus aide charged with battery after video shows he hit autistic student

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A fired aide for special needs children has been charged with two low-level battery charges after video captured him punching a nonverbal autistic student on a school bus.

In addition to the video evidence, the bus driver saw Timothy B. Miller, 71, strike the 16-year-old boy on the head multiple times with a closed fist. The boy was restrained in a his seat during the May 2 engagement.

Martinsville Schools Police Department Chief Chris Wright said in court documents that the video shows Miller’s blows appeared to cause pain to the boy, and the child was holding his head once the encounter ended.

Audio indicated “the amount of force used would be considered excessive,” the chief said in the court documents.

The exact injuries to the boy were not spelled out in the court documents. Parents of the student noted increased aggression in their son since Miller had begun working with him, and, once learning of the incident recorded on video, they asked for Miller to be charged with battery.

The investigation also found that Miller had previously said during a discussion with the bus driver, “I’m afraid I’m going to get mad and hurt” the 16-year-old boy.

Miller was charged Monday in Morgan Superior Court 3. He also faces a low-level felony count of intimidation, and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. He was not in the Morgan County jail on Thursday night, online records showed.

The bus was taking the boy from a disability services and support organization, based on the southeast side of Indianapolis, to his Martinsville home, court documents said.

Police learned about the incident after the bus driver reported it to a Martinsville Schools transportation administrator. Administrators then pulled the video and saw the incident.

The Indiana Department of Child Services has opened an investigation into the incident, the police chief said.

Miller had received training in 2023 and 2025 before he took the job, the police chief’s investigation found.

Miller has retained legal counsel and declined to provide a statement to investigators or participate in an interview with the police.

About The Author

See author's posts