Hansen students witness alleged assault of bus driver

**See below for an update from the Randolph Police Department.**

A group of Hansen Elementary students witnessed what school leaders characterized as a “very difficult and disturbing” scene on Tuesday morning after an irate parent boarded his child’s school bus and physically assaulted the driver.

The incident occurred on Bus C10 at the Prynne Hills apartment complex (formerly Avalon), which is located off Randolph Street on the Canton/Randolph line.

Randolph Police responded to the scene and are leading the investigation with assistance from the Canton Police Department. Firefighters/paramedics from Randolph also responded and treated the injured driver at the scene before transporting him to a local hospital. An alternate driver was dispatched by the bus operator, First Student Inc., to complete the route, accompanied by a CPS school resource officer and a member of the CPS administrative team.

In a letter to Hansen families, Principal Tami Olsen and Superintendent of Schools Derek Folan indicated that while no students were involved in the incident, they did “witness the altercation and alleged assault of the driver.”

“As such, our number-one concern was the safety and well-being of the students for the remainder of the bus ride and their arrival at Hansen,” school leaders said.

Acknowledging that the incident had a “significant impact” on the students who witnessed the attack, Olsen and Folan said the Hansen counseling team provided one-on-one support and care to students upon their arrival at school while Hansen administrators followed up with phone calls to the affected families.

In an effort to ensure the continued well-being of the students, school officials said administrators will be riding the C10 bus for the remainder of the week, and Canton Public Schools will “continue to collaborate with both the Randolph and Canton police departments.”

Witnesses told WCVB NewsCenter 5 that when the driver opened the door to allow the student onto the bus, the parent followed and began “yelling and swearing before he repeatedly punched the driver in the face.”

The mother of another student who was on the bus told NewsCenter 5 that there were “a lot of swears and bad words” used, and students on the bus were crying.

“We commend our students for responding so well in a very difficult and disturbing situation,” stated Olsen and Folan in their letter to families. “A heartfelt thank you to the administration, counselors, nurses and educators for their work in supporting the students and families.”

Members of the Hansen community who have any questions or concerns related to the incident are being advised to contact the school administration.

UPDATE: Randolph Police arrest alleged attacker

In a media released issued on Wednesday evening, Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag announced that they had arrested the chief suspect in the alleged attack — identified as 31-year-old Aaron J. Whitehead of Fall River — after locating him in Stoughton.

According to Chief Marag, an investigation revealed that Whitehead had stopped his vehicle in front of the bus while it was picking up students in Canton and attempted to have his child board at a location that was not their assigned stop. The driver told the child they could not board at their unscheduled stop under company policy and Whitehead allegedly became angry, following the bus to its next stop on Avalon Drive in Randolph.

Witnesses say Whitehead struck the 65-year-old driver multiple times, then took the driver’s cellphone and threw it before leaving the scene. Marag said several young children were on the bus at the time of the assault, and upon their arrival at the scene, Randolph officers observed multiple parents in the parking lot who appeared “visibly shaken and upset.”

In addition to facing a charge of assault and battery on a person over the age of 60, Whitehead has also been charged with witness intimidation, malicious destruction of property, and disorderly conduct. He was due to be arraigned in Quincy District Court on Thursday.

“School bus drivers perform an important job every day transporting children safely to and from school, and this type of violence will not be tolerated,” said Chief Marag. “We wish the driver a full and speedy recovery, and I want to thank the Canton Police Department and the Stoughton Police Department for their assistance during this investigation and arrest.”

These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Apr 30 2026. Filed under News, Police & Fire, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.