MITCHELL – A former Mitchell school bus driver is facing multiple felony battery charges after an incident involving two students on her bus.
According to an affidavit for probable cause filed on Tuesday, March 4, by Mitchell Police Department Sergeant Jacob Kuhlman, Teresa A. McKnight, 60, of Mitchell, is accused of battery against individuals under the age of 14 by a person at least 18 years of age, a Level 6 Felony.
The investigation began on February 26, when Sgt. Kuhlman responded to a report regarding an incident that occurred on February 24th. The male caller stated that his child had been struck by the school bus driver, later identified as McKnight. The caller informed the officer that the school corporation had terminated the bus driver due to the incident and that he wished to press battery charges. He also stated that his child had reported similar prior incidents.
A school employee confirmed an investigation was conducted and video evidence existed of the bus driver striking the child. Still, the footage could not be released due to privacy concerns for other children on the bus.
McKnight arrived at the scene while Sgt. Kuhlman spoke with the father and the boy, who agreed to provide a voluntary statement at the Mitchell Police Department.
During an interview, McKnight admitted that she “slapped both of their faces” in response to two boys being disruptive on the bus. When asked if this was an isolated incident, she stated it was the “first time”.
The second child involved and his mother also told police they wished to press battery charges. The boy told police that McKnight had also slapped him in the face and that the bus driver had also slapped his friend. The boy did state that the slap didn’t really hurt, but it did leave a faint mark on his face, which his mother also noticed.
On March 4, 2025, Sgt. Kuhlman obtained video footage from the school bus camera system. The footage revealed the following:
- At 14:09:31, McKnight grabbed the first boy’s arms, sternly instructed him to “stop it” twice, and shoved him back into his seat.
- McKnight is then observed appearing to count the children and pointing to various children, including the two boys, while stating “I don’t like you” and “I don’t like him”.
- At 14:10:20, both boys approached McKnight to ask why she did not like them but quickly returned to their seats.
- At 14:10:30, McKnight (off camera) tells both boys to “shut up!”.
- At 14:10:56, McKnight is observed shoving the first boy back into his seat and then pushing the second back into his seat.
- An uninvolved juvenile briefly blocked the camera’s view, but based on statements from McKnight and the second boy, this is when McKnight struck the first boy on the face with an open-palmed slap.
- McKnight tells both boys to “sit down and stop.” The first boy begins to cry, and McKnight responds by pretending to cry exaggeratedly.
- McKnight laughed and told the first boy to “quit crying” before returning to the driver’s seat.
- As McKnight walked back to the driver’s seat, the second boy told McKnight that the first boy was “crying because you freakin’ smacked him.” McKnight then reached out with her open right palm and struck the second boy on the right side of his face before returning to the driver’s seat.
- At 14:12:20, McKnight again walked back to where the boys were seated. After speaking with the second boy briefly, she hit him in the face with her open right palm and shoved him back into his seat a final time.
The affidavit concludes that there is probable cause to believe that McKnight committed the offense of battery. The information was forwarded to the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office, and a warrant was issued for her arrest. She was detained on March 11 on charges of battery on a person less than 14 years old and official misconduct.
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