Bully

The bully strikes back. Last year there was a boy in Ryleighs class that just so  happened to ride the same bus as her.  He picked on Ry, hair pulling, pinching, name calling. Then things took a turn and be started swearing at her, he threatened to shoot her if she didn't shut her mouth.  This all took place on the bus. He was good for the most part in the class. Ryleigh came off the bus one day crying saying this child had hit her with his backpack and threatened to dig her eyes out this a wood chip from the playground. The principle watched the bus video and there was some friendly teasing and laughing that eventually turned ugly. The kids were separated from that day on ( as for the bus) the boy would ride another bus to school. There was supposed to be a  plan in place to have them in separate classes for future years. Well they are in the same class again this year AND riding the bus together. I am exhausted with the situation and we are four days into the school year. This years trouble started when Ryleigh said K was putting his hands in her face on the bus, she asked him to stop and he wouldn't. The next day on the bus K sat with Ryleigh's friend Rebekah, Ryleigh and Rebekah sit together everyday so Ryleigh sat with both of them. I am not sure specifically what happened but from what I gather there was some laughing, some teasing which led to K telling the girls he had a knife in his bag and he was going to stab them. Rebekah told him to prove it and he couldn't. Last year he threatened to shoot my daughter if she didn't shut her mouth. I am struggling with what to do because I feel that this has gone on so long that Ryleigh expects the teasing to happen   and deals with it. If he touches her, she gets upset but his threats are mentioned only if I ask her how the bus ride went. I honestly think she thinks that this is how it is going to be. What worries me is that I don't know what this kids home life is like and whether he has access to a gun or a knife. He obviously has a hard time deciphering when he has gone too far, so what is going to stop him from proving he has a knife and brining it To school or on the bus. It scares me that my daughter watches this kid laugh and joke about hurting her. she is young, innocent and oblivious to knowing these things actually happen. Her guard is down. She thinks he is all talk and even if he is... She is seven. She shouldn't have to hear such awful things. When I think about her sitting with him or even talking to him I think what are you thinking? Last year after he hit her with his backpack and called her a fucker and bitch and told her he was going to dig her eyes out,  the school said on the video they watched of the bus ride that she shook her stuffed animal at him and previously all the kids were laughing and talking with each other. Why does my daughter EVER want to associate with him and because she does from time to time does that justify bring treated this way?  Obviously not but the school used it as an excuse for him last year. I just want to not have to deal with this stress this year. Is it too much to ask for separation on both the bus and at school? So we can all can relax and not worry. Should I just give up and say it will get better. Make sure she is doing her part to completely  separate herself from this chid. Or do I risk the chance of her getting hurt or someone else getting hurt and wishing I had spoken up. At this point I feel other parents are counting on me to say something because he is threatening my child with bringing a dangerous weapon to school. Not only that,but I want my daughter to know we don't associate with people like this. They do not deserve her attention. She has to respect herself.