James Jones, Father in School Bus Outburst, Apologizes for Rage Against Daughter's Bullies

James Jones boarded a school bus and raged at students who bullied his daughter.

ByABC News via logo
September 18, 2010, 1:29 PM

Sept. 21, 2010 -- The Florida father who boarded his daughter's school bus and ranted at his daughter's bullies in a profanity and threat-filled rage said his behavior went too far.

"I'd like to still apologize," James Jones said today on "Good Morning America." "I regret for all the kids that weren't involved -- the kids that had nothing to do with this that were on the bus at the time."

Jones inspired nationwide debate after he was caught on camera threatening his daughter's tormenters and even the bus driver. Though he was eventually arrested and charged with two misdemeanors after the incident, parents around the nation took to the Internet to applaud how he stood up for his daughter, who has cerebral palsy.

Jones told "Good Morning America" that he got a call that morning that his 11-year-old daughter did not want to go to school that day and was crying. He came home to console her.

"I said, "I'll walk you, I'll take you to the bus stop,'" Jones said.

"At the time I was really going to confront with the bus driver and ask him what's going on," Jones said.

But as he asked his daughter which kids were the ones who taunted her -- who denied her a seat on the bus and who reportedly threw condoms at her -- he lost it.

The surveillance tape, which blurred out the students faces, but allowed Jones to be heard loud and clear, recorded the entire outburst.

"I'm gonna (expletive) you up. … this is my daughter, and I will kill the (expletive) who fought her," Jones said.

Jones reportedly threatened not only the students but the bus driver as well.

"If anything happens to my daughter I'm going to (expletive) you up and everybody on this (expletive)," he said.

Before leaving, he dares them to call the police.

"You call the police, call them. My brother's the damn deputy sheriff."

Jones now faces up to six months in jail and a $500 fine, according to his lawyer Natalie Jackson. He is facing charges of obstruction of justice and interference with a school function.

"I just took it a little bit too much farther," Jones said.

Their daughter is now in the care of a doctor, being treated for stress, and has not yet returned home. Her mother, Deborah Jones, said the little girl will not be going back to her old school

Police are also investigating the alleged bullies; they could face charges of their own.