Latest news with #S-3447
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Carlstadt nurse sentenced in school bus death of disabled student from Morris County
A nurse charged with the care of a Morris County man with muscular dystrophy and autism, has been sentenced to 90 days in jail after the 19-year-old's death on a school bus. Emilio J. Rivera, 30, of Carlstadt, will surrender his nursing license following his guilty plea to charges of endangering another person and neglect of a disabled person, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said on Monday. The sentence, handed down Friday by state Superior Court Judge Ralph Amirata, also includes three years of probation, the office said. The charges followed the 2023 death of Matthew Rossi of East Hanover, who lived with both muscular dystrophy and autism. He died after his airway was obstructed with mucus during a bus ride home from school, according to a lawsuit filed by his family against Rivera and the bus company. Rossi was in good health when he headed off to school the morning of Feb. 10, 2023. But he suffered respiratory distress on his ride home that afternoon that authorities said was not adequately addressed by his nurse. 'Rivera was legally responsible for the care of Matthew, and neglected to perform certain acts necessary for the victim's care which created a substantial risk of serious bodily injury,' stated the joint press release from the Prosecutor's Office and the East Hanover Police Department. Police and emergency personnel were called to Rossi's home 'on a report of an unconscious male,' who had 'just arrived home on the bus from his school. EMS personnel and East Hanover Police officers attempted CPR and other lifesaving intervention. The victim was subsequently pronounced deceased,' the statement reads. Up to 45 days of Rivera's sentence may be served as part of the Morris County Sheriff's Labor Assistance Program; he was ordered to have no contact with the Rossi family. More: School bus safety bill focused on special education students clears NJ Senate There has been a heightened focus on improving transportation safety for students with disabilities in the wake of Rossi's death and other recent tragedies on New Jersey school buses. The state has introduced a new training program for school bus drivers and aides, and proposals in the state Legislature seek further reforms. Assembly bill A-5142, currently under review by the chamber's Education Committee, would require the installation of video cameras and GPS units on buses and would make it mandatory for staff to call 911 during an emergency. Another proposal, S-3447, would create a special education transportation task force to standardize safety practices and improve accountability; it passed the state Senate unanimously last month. This article originally appeared on NJ nurse sentenced in school bus death of disabled student
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School bus safety bill focused on special education students clears NJ Senate
For the second time in a week, New Jersey lawmakers pushed forward legislation aimed at increasing school bus safety for students with disabilities. The state Senate on Monday unanimously approved S-3447, a bill that would create a 22-member Special Education Transportation Task Force to study reforms. The vote follows a trio of deaths and other safety complaints involving special-education students commuting to and from school in New Jersey, and it comes a week after a Senate committee advanced a separate measure to require video cameras and GPS tracking on buses that transport disabled students. Monday's legislation, approved by a 39-0 vote, is sponsored by senators Kristin Corrado, a Bergen County Republican, and Patrick Diegnan, a Democrat from Middlesex County. It would create a panel of parents, educators, state officials and advocates who will have one year to examine a system that disability groups say is failing New Jersey students and to come up with recommendations for improvements. 'Today's vote represents a big, important step forward in our effort to ensure the safety of students with disabilities. Among other things, this task force would provide a platform for a much-needed conversation about special education transportation – a conversation that should be student-centered and family-driven,' said Paul Aronsohn, the state's ombudsman for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Among other subjects, the task force would examine the training school bus drivers and aides receive and how they handle emergency situations. It would also study whether the education plans drafted for students with disabilities adequately lay out their transportation needs. This legislation follows tragedies like that of East Hanover's Matthew Rossi, a 19-year-old with muscular dystrophy and autism, who was put on a school bus in 2023 and returned home unresponsive. Rossi was pronounced dead at his home soon after that ride. His family spoke out about the tragedy in an effort to spark a public debate on accountability and safety. "I am pleased that the state Senate unanimously passed this bill, which supports our family's core mission of prioritizing the personal safety of our most vulnerable students during transport to and from school, including their unique medical and behavioral needs," Matthew's mother, Anabela Rossi, said in an email. More: Hundreds from NJ disability community rally in Trenton against GOP Medicaid cuts The legislation also "aims to establish greater accountability for the local school boards," she said. "We are grateful to Senators Corrado and Diegnan for their sponsorship on this bill and commitment to this issue." Groups like Disability Rights New Jersey and the New Jersey Education Association, which represents special education teachers, would also have a seat at the table on the new task force. An identical version of the legislation, Assembly bill 4607 will need to pass that chamber before heading to the governor's desk for a signature. This article originally appeared on Special education school bus safety bill clears NJ Senate
