A bus driver in Paris was caught on video slapping a 12-year-old schoolboy in the face and now faces possible disciplinary actions. More than 300,000 people, however, have signed a petition supporting the bus driver and requesting that he does not get fired.
The petition blames the boy’s bad behavior and him running into the street, being nearly hit by the bus, and forcing the driver to brake hard and affect passengers.
The driver reportedly yelled at the boy after slamming the brakes, reminding him to pay attention to the road. The boy screamed back, telling the driver to “shut up, go on, move on,” according to reports by BBC and WGNTV.
The driver then exited the bus, walked up to the boy, slapped him in the face, and got back on the bus.
The slap video was posted on social media and the boy’s mother filed a complaint.
The video has more than 1.2 million views. Many commenters have spoken out about the boy’s disrespectful behavior and poor decision to run into the road.
The Paris transport authority (RATP) is investigating disciplinary actions against the driver. RATP condemned the man’s actions on Twitter, stating “The #RATP condemns this gesture, which is contrary to the principles and values of a public service company. The employee was received by the management of the bus center to explain and signify the implementation of a disciplinary procedure.”
The driver is a father of two and expressed that he regretted acting on his emotions.