The Poudre School district will pay $16.2 million to the families of children who accused a former district school bus aide of abuse.
The payment settles a lawsuit brought by the parents of 10 children who were repeatedly slapped, pinched and punched by former bus paraprofessional Tyler Zanella. It comes a year after he was sentenced to more than 12 years for assaulting the students with disabilities.
The elementary children who are autistic and mostly non-verbal and were unable to complain to anyone during weeks of torment. After weeks of physical and mental abuse, children began acting out their fears at home and in school.
After noting physical signs of abuse, district officials watched bus surveillance videos, saw the abuse, reported it to the police and Zanella was arrested in May 2023.
The families’ lawsuit alleged that the district knew Zanella pleaded guilty to child abuse in 2012. When district officials discovered Zanella had lied on his application, they allowed him to keep working at the Poudre School district, including assisting special needs kids between the ages of 5 and 10, according to the 2024 lawsuit.
“It is utterly incomprehensible how a school district could allow a convicted child abuser to have access to utterly helpless children in this situation,” said attorney David Lane in a statement. “Ultimately, this governmental failure will cost the taxpayers millions of dollars and these innocent children have been severely damaged.”
The Poudre School District board of education passed a resolution Tuesday to approve the settlement.
The district’s insurance carrier will cover $10 million of the settlement, while the district will cover $6.2 million, according to the resolution.
“The resolution represents our collective commitment to address the harm caused and to supporting the ongoing recovery and well-being of these students and their families,” said board president Kristen Draper.
Since 2023, the district has invested almost $2 million to implement safety measures, including revising policies, protocols and hiring practices. It has installed advanced bus camera systems across its whole fleet, trained staff on trauma-informed care, behavior management and mandatory reporting. In addition, it has hired a transportation manager dedicated for students with disabilities to oversee bus operations, according to the district.
“While these incidents are a painful chapter in our history, they are also a catalyst for important and necessary improvements,” said Draper. “We are mindful that our next chapter must include increased efforts centered on healing, repairing the harm done, and rebuilding trust.”
