School bus aide sentenced to 3 years in death of girl with special needs in New Jersey

SOMERVILLE, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A school bus aide convicted of child endangerment in the death of a 6-year-old girl with special needs was sentenced in Somerville, New Jersey, on Friday.

Amanda Davila, 28, was found not guilty of the more serious charges of aggravated and reckless manslaughter.

The judge sentenced Davila to three years in prison. She had faced as many as 10.

In 2023, prosecutors said Davila was wearing ear buds and on her phone as the child, Farj Williams, got strangled by the harness on her wheelchair.

After two days of deliberations, the jury reached a split verdict.

The defense had argued that a family member of Williams improperly buckled her into her wheelchair that day.

"Even if she was found guilty on all counts, I still wouldn't have closure because I still don't have my child," Williams' mother, Najmah Nash, said back in January.

Davila had told jurors she should have checked on Williams and didn't follow training procedures, but doesn't deserve the punishment she may face.

"I made a mistake. You guys are trying to put me in jail for 10-20 years on a mistake. I'm partially to blame but there's other people to blame too, not just me," Davila said.

Davila and her attorney, Michael Policastro, maintained that Williams, who was nonverbal, died because she was incorrectly strapped into her wheelchair by her sister or her mother as she slumped in her chair. The bus' shoulder harness cut off her airway.

Prosecutors said there was no proof the family was at fault.

The jury was shown the entire bus ride to Claremont Elementary School, which showed Davila constantly on her phone, ear buds in both ears, seated in front of Williams, not checking on her at all during the ride.