Kentucky school bus driver charged after grandparent says he assaulted child
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- Danny Hamm, 73, was charged with fourth-degree assault and harassment.
- A grandparent says Hamm grabbed and choked their grandson while off the bus.
- Hamm posted a $1,000 bond, lost his job, and faces a July 15 pretrial conference.
A Kentucky school bus driver has been charged and is accused of assaulting a child on a school bus, according to an arrest citation and the grandparent of the alleged victim.
Danny Hamm, 73, is charged with fourth-degree assault and harassment. A citation says the incident happened April 20 but did not provide any details of what happened.
Janet Rutherford, the victim’s grandmother, told the Herald-Leader her grandson was getting off a school bus when Hamm, “pulled his shirt tightly and choked him from behind.”
“So as grandparents we did not take that lightly,” Rutherford said.
Rutherford said she and her husband saw a video of the incident, which made them very upset. Rutherford said Hamm grabbed the back of the child’s shirt and yanked “him very hard,” which Rutherford said hurt the child.
Rockcastle County School Superintendent Carrie Ballinger told the Herald-Leader she was unable to comment on Hamm’s status due to the ongoing investigation.
Hamm has posted a $1,000 and is no longer in custody, according to court records. His next scheduled court appearance is a pretrial conference on July 15.
Rutherford said she and her husband are also talking to a lawyer about filing a lawsuit.
This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 10:24 AM.
