A school bus aide is attacked by a New Jersey student with a history of violence, according to the lawsuit

A school bus employee has filed a lawsuit against the Cliffside Park Board of Education in Bergen County, alleging she was attacked by a student with a history of violence despite the district failing to take security measures to protect her.

The 48-year-old Hudson County worker claims in court documents that county officials knew the 6-foot-2, 240-pound student had a history of violence.

“The defendants knew of prior bus assaults and were aware of the attacker’s prior violent tendencies and/or actions,” says the lawsuit, filed April 16 in the Superior Court of Hudson County.

Despite knowing the student’s alleged history, the school district “did not take any action to adequately protect the employee,” the lawsuit says.

Cliffside Park Schools Superintendent Michael Romagnino did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit Tuesday.

According to court documents, the incident occurred on April 18, 2022, when the woman was restraining a special education student. Suddenly, the larger student “reached over, grabbed the plaintiff and shook him violently,” the lawsuit states.

The attack caused injuries to the woman’s head, neck and shoulder, the lawsuit says. The statement of claim does not provide the age of the alleged attacker or any information about previous alleged attacks.

However, the lawsuit claims the district knew about the attacker’s “special problems” and about previous assaults on Cliffside Park school buses.

The lawsuit also names the student’s parents or guardians as defendants, alleging they knew he was violent but did nothing to warn the worker “so that she could adequately protect herself or avoid direct contact with the student.”

Anthony G. Attrino can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.