Amanda Davila was acquitted of major charges in the tragic case of a 6-year-old girl who died due to a wheelchair harness incident

Somerville: A New Jersey school bus aide, Amanda Davila, faced charges after a tragic incident where a special-needs girl, Fajr Atiya Williams, died. The little girl was strangled by her wheelchair harness on the way to school in July 2023.
Recently, a jury found Davila not guilty of the most serious charges, like aggravated manslaughter. However, she was convicted of endangering a child’s welfare. Fajr’s mother, Najmah Nash, expressed her heartbreak, saying her daughter is gone forever.
During the trial, it was revealed that Davila was distracted, looking at her phone with earbuds in while Fajr struggled in the back of the bus. The harness tightened around the girl’s neck as the bus hit bumps.
Davila’s defense argued that Fajr’s family didn’t secure her properly in the wheelchair. They claimed it was the parents’ responsibility to buckle the harness correctly. But Nash insisted that Davila failed to do her job by not checking on her daughter, who had a rare condition.
Davila admitted on the stand that she should have paid more attention. She acknowledged her mistake but also pointed out that others share the blame. She faces a possible five years in prison when sentenced in March.