A Missouri father is facing serious charges after police say he climbed onto a school bus and instructed his 6-year-old daughter to physically attack another student — all caught on camera.
The man, identified as 36-year-old Maurice Fox, has been charged with first-degree harassment, two counts of fourth-degree assault (including one on the child and another on the bus driver), and trespassing, according to St. Louis County prosecutors.
The disturbing incident happened around 9 a.m. on Thursday, October 9, in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. Fox allegedly boarded the school bus with his young daughter and refused to leave when asked by the driver, pushing the driver’s arm out of the way before walking down the aisle.
According to bodycam and surveillance footage obtained by local outlets KMOV and KSDK, Fox was heard telling his daughter, “Do what I told you to do,” as she stood near another student. He then confronted the child directly, saying, “Hey, don’t put your hands on my daughter no more… ‘cause if I find out you’re touching her again, your parents will have to talk to me.”
What happened next left viewers stunned.
Fox reportedly told his daughter, “What do you do?” prompting the child to punch the other student several times. He then told her, “Again,” which led to even more punches — all while Fox stood by, watching. At one point, he added, “I want her crying.” After the attack, he told his daughter, “Let’s go,” and they exited the bus.
Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle condemned the incident in a statement, calling it “disturbing and completely unacceptable.” He also criticized Fox for avoiding contact with detectives while reportedly launching a GoFundMe campaign for legal expenses.
“You cannot crowdsource accountability,” Doyle said. “We urge him to contact the Ferguson Police Department immediately or come in and speak with our investigators to give his account of the incident.”
Court documents reveal that Fox has a prior criminal record, including convictions for armed robbery, aggravated battery, and unlawful firearm possession. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and his bond is set at $100,000.
The Ferguson-Florissant School District confirmed it is fully cooperating with law enforcement and issued a statement emphasizing the importance of student safety.
“School buses are an extension of the school campus,” the district said. “Trespassing on a school bus and engaging in the behavior described in this incident are completely unacceptable.”
As of now, the child who was attacked has not been publicly identified, and the full extent of any injuries is unclear.
If the Fox child had been trying to stop the other child from hitting her and the school didn’t do anything about it, I would have gone to the police about it. Of course, nowdays, adults just don’t care about that.