LAKELAND — A 65-year-old bus attendant has been arrested on child abuse charges after striking a special-needs student earlier this week, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Brenda Nelson of Polk City has been charged with one count of child abuse. The alleged incident is said to have occurred before 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Deputies learned of the incident after a complaint was made by a witness, who was not on the bus, to a transportation safety specialist. The witness alleged that she saw Nelson hit a student on the head, the Sheriff’s Office said. Nelson was working on a bus designated specifically for special-needs students that transports them from the Doris Sanders Learning Center in Lakeland to their homes throughout the county.

While being interviewed by deputies, Nelson denied remembering hitting a student. The surveillance footage from the bus, however, showed Nelson hit an epileptic special-needs girl on top of the head with an open hand, deputies said. She also told the student she would “slap the tongue” out of her mouth.

Minutes later, according to deputies, Nelson is seen violently shaking the student’s head back and forth several times. Nelson is later seen behind the student’s seat trying to tighten her harness, which is intended to restrict the student’s mobility, when the student reaches her hand back toward Nelson, who twice struck her hand.

The student, deputies said, was heard making squealing noises after being struck before Nelson told her to turn around.

Nelson told the bus driver to take the student home first instead of following the regular route, deputies said. For the remainder of the ride to the home, Nelson sat with the student and appeared to try pushing her down into the seat to further restrict her mobility.

During the initial interview, Nelson told deputies that the student was beating on the window and often misbehaves while on the bus. Nelson said that while she was attempting to get another student off the bus, the girl was beating on the window and trying to get out of her seat. The Sheriff’s Office said those actions could not be corroborated from the surveillance video.

"I guess I done it,” Nelson told deputies after being confronted. “I didn't remember hitting her. I must have just lost it. I don't remember doing that. I would never hit one of those kids."

Nelson has been a bus attendant with the Polk County School Board for more than 34 years and is paid $18,400 per year. She has no prior disciplinary action in her personnel file or any prior arrests in Polk County. She was transported to the Polk County Jail.

Mike Ferguson can be reached at Mike.Ferguson@theledger.com or 863-401-6981. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson.