A mother in Tennessee has been charged with aggravated child abuse after she allegedly struck her daughter in a school parking lot out of frustration that the girl missed the bus, necessitating a drive to school.
According to staff at the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, the student arrived at the principal’s office on August 19 “visibly upset,” recounting the incident to them.
The girl revealed that her mother, identified as Misty Sue Coleman, became angry when the child missed the school bus, as reported by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. The girl stated that upon exiting the vehicle, her mother accelerated before she was fully out, hitting her right ankle and leaving the campus without stopping.
Deputies examined surveillance footage which they said substantiated the girl’s account. The video showed the mother’s vehicle hitting the child and departing with the car door still ajar.
Officials did not comment on the girl’s condition.
The school serves students in grades 6 through 12, according to its website.
Coleman appears to have bonded out, according to jail records, and is due again in court on September 3.
