A former staff member at Poudre School District was given a sentence of more than 10 years in prison and two years in jail after admitting guilt to harming a vulnerable individual, bothering someone, and mistreating a child by striking disabled students on the school bus.
Tyler Zanella admitted guilt on Jan. 29 to seven instances of third-degree assault towards a vulnerable individual, two instances of child mistreatment, and two instances of bothering. The assault offenses are serious while the child mistreatment and bothering offenses are less serious.
Zanella, 37, was arrested in May after evidence was discovered that he struck a non-verbal autistic child on the bus route he worked. Later, investigators found bus surveillance footage showing him mistreating 10 more children, as reported by the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Zanella initially faced over 160 charges of child mistreatment, bothering, and assault. He admitted guilt to the most serious charge for each of the 11 victims, according to the district attorney’s office.
In a statement, prosecutor Laura Hinojos stated that Zanella believes “he did not cause any long-term effects to these children, and much like most things he says – this is a lie.”
Zanella was sentenced to two years in the Larimer County Jail and 10.5 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections on April 12.
Zanella is facing a civil lawsuit by six Poudre School District students and their guardians for the mistreatment that took place during the 2022-2023 school year.
