Longwood school district: Girl taken to hospital after scarf pulled on bus

Longwood school district officials Wednesday urged parents to speak with their children about how they should conduct themselves on buses after  a boy pulled the scarf of a 6-year-old girl sitting in front of him, and she was sent to the hospital as a precaution.

“We are pleased to hear that the child was not seriously injured,” the Longwood Central School District said in a statement, offering no details about whether she required any treatment after the incident Tuesday.

A Stony Brook University Hospital spokeswoman said Wednesday the child was in good condition.

Only one student at Charles E. Walters Elementary School in Yaphank was involved, the school district said, adding the children were very young, and “while this type of behavior is never appropriate, it is our understanding that there was never any malicious intent.”

Initially, police said three boys were reported to have taken part in what was termed roughhousing.

“This type of incident can have serious consequences, and we ask that our community speak with your children about respecting others and appropriate behavior on the bus,” the district said, adding it was investigating and would mete out any discipline according to its Code of Conduct.

“As soon as the bus driver became aware of the incident, she immediately pulled over to check on the student then contacted dispatch and 911 was called,” the district said.

Suffolk Transportation of Bay Shore on Wednesday referred calls for comment to the district. Not all of its buses are outfitted with video, said the firm’s executive vice president, Tom McAteer, declining to say whether the bus where the problem occurred had cameras.

With Ellen Yan