An Indianapolis man will spend two years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from an incident in which he and his girlfriend boarded a Greenwood school bus without permission and attacked children they believed were bullying his son.
Donquarious Ridley, 28, was sentenced to two years behind bars followed by two years of probation, the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office announced. Ridley pleaded guilty to felony charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and battery against a child younger than 14. The court also ordered him to complete anger management and substance abuse treatment.
The incident happened on Oct. 31, 2025, near Dover Drive and Scarborough Lane in Greenwood, Indiana. Police said Ridley and his girlfriend, Raven Barner, boarded a school bus without authorization and began confronting students over allegations that their son was being bullied.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that showed the couple entering the bus and yelling at children. According to police, Barner threatened a young boy, telling him she would “beat his a–,” before allegedly striking two children.
Police said Ridley also assaulted students during the confrontation. He reportedly threw one child to the ground and allowed his son to repeatedly hit the child. When other students tried to intervene, Ridley allegedly shoved them back into their seats.
Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner criticized Ridley’s actions. He said the sentence should warn others against using violence to settle disputes involving children.
“We are pleased that Judge Roesener sent a strong message today to this defendant and to anyone else who might think about behaving this way,” Hamner said. “You don’t get on a school bus and hit little kids. Parents are supposed to protect children and teach them right from wrong. Ridley did the exact opposite in this incident.”
Barner previously pleaded guilty to two counts of battery against a person younger than 14. She also pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of resisting law enforcement.
Barner pleaded guilty to two battery counts involving children under 14. She also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor resisting law enforcement. Her guilty pleas stemmed from the same incident that led to Ridley’s sentence.
Police were called to the intersection on the morning of Oct. 31 after receiving a report of a disturbance aboard a school bus. The caller told officers that two adults had entered the vehicle without permission and were yelling at students.
Officers spoke with children who said the adults were angry because they believed their son was being bullied. Investigators then examined security footage, which reportedly showed the couple entering the bus and immediately confronting the students.
The video allegedly captured Barner threatening the boy before striking at least two children. Police corroborated that Ridley threw another child to the ground and allowed his son to hit him repeatedly, as well as preventing other students from trying to step in by keeping them in their seats. The bus driver told investigators she had not given either adult permission to board the bus, according to Fox 59.
After reviewing the footage and speaking with witnesses, officers located Ridley and Barner as they attempted to leave their residence by car. Police stopped the vehicle and arrested both adults before taking them to the Johnson County Jail.
Court records originally listed felony battery charges against both defendants for allegedly striking children under 14. Ridley also faced a felony count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The case centered on the couple’s decision to confront students directly rather than allowing school officials to address the alleged bullying. Although the adults reportedly believed their son was being targeted by other children, authorities said the confrontation escalated into illegal physical violence on the bus.
