Gananda mother accused of harassment back in court Tuesday

GANANDA, N.Y. (WHEC) — The Gananda mother accused of physically harassing a school bus monitor when her son would not wear a mask on his school bus was back in court on Tuesday.

She is charged with second-degree harassment and endangering the welfare of a child after she allegedly struck the Gananda bus monitor and encouraged her son to do the same.

News10NBC’s camera was not allowed in the courtroom, but Emily Putnam caught up with the mother, Laine Mulye, and her attorney, Chad Hummel, afterward. It was a pretty standard procedural hearing Tuesday. Mulye and Hummel were in front of the judge in Macedon Town Court for only a couple of minutes, where they requested a date to file motions and access to new evidence.

"There’s some police body camera footage that they’ve indicated exists that they will be turning over to me and records of 911 calls," said Hummel, standing next to his client after their hearing.

Hummel said before the incident with the bus driver, Mulye had not applied for a medical mask exemption with the Gananda School District, but that the child did have proof of a medical exemption.

"A doctor has reviewed his situation and did provide him with an exemption from having to wear a mask,” said Hummel. “And that should’ve been honored. It should never have escalated."

After past mask-related disagreements with the Gananda School District – including school board meetings where Mulye spoke out against masks – Hummel believe Mulye was targeted by the district.

“There was a discussion between my client and the school district surrounding my client’s ability to go to school on the bus without a mask, and then this happened,” said Hummel. “So I think it’s a pretty reasonable inference to draw that my client was being targeted."

Mulye thanked the people in the community who have supported her.

"We have received an outpouring of love and support from people that know our situation and know what it’s like to be the parent of a special needs child," said Mulye.

Neither Hummel, Mulye, nor the Gananda School District could confirm if Mulye’s son is in fact a student in the district.

Emily Putnam: Is he a student in the Gananda school district?

Laine Mulye: Decline to answer.

Mulye is due back in court on November 16. In the meantime, Hummel plans to file a motion to dismiss the harassment and child endangerment charges. The Gananda district stands behind the school bus monitor and says that the school policy is for kids to be masked on buses unless the district has a copy of a medical mask exemption.