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Globe sues to get school bus video in accident that killed boy
The suit argues that the city can’t withhold footage under an exemption for ongoing investigations.
The Boston Globe filed a lawsuit this week against the city for allegedly withholding video footage from cameras on the school bus involved in the death of a Hyde Park boy.
Lens Arthur Joseph, 5, was killed on April 28 when he was hit by a school bus on Washington Street.
The public records lawsuit was filed in Suffolk Superior Court on July 28, according to a Universal Hub report. In it, the news outlet argues that the city can’t withhold footage from school bus cameras by citing an ongoing investigation, as that exemption only applies to materials “necessarily compiled out of the public view.”
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The suit says that the video, recorded on the bus between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. that day, was captured by cameras in plain sight of passengers.
Joseph was struck when he exited the bus on his way home from school at around 2:45 p.m. near 107 Washington St. The driver, Jean Charles, was not arrested but was fired. He is facing a lawsuit brought by the boy’s family. They are also suing the school bus contractor, Transdev, for negligence.
According to the UniversalHub report, the Globe is seeking footage of the time period before Joseph and his 11-year-old cousin entered the bus on school grounds until after he was struck, when Charles allegedly attempted to drive away.
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The Globe’s lawsuit came after a reporter requested the footage on May 14, but was denied due to the ongoing investigation.
According to the report, the Globe asks that the city be ordered to release the video and waive any fees for providing a copy. The city has until Nov. 25 to file its response to the lawsuit.
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