A Palmerton woman, charged with an incident involving a student on a school bus, entered a guilty plea on Thursday in Carbon County court.

Christina M. Hartman, 55, pleaded to one count of simple assault for an incident on Feb. 3, 2020, in the 300 block of Delaware Avenue.

Police said Hartman was a bus aide at the time and was accused of slapping and spitting on a 7-year male student.

Defense attorney Matthew J. Rapa said there was no excuse for Hartman’s actions, but said he wanted the court to know that the student in question was a problem on the bus and using profane language. He said at a preliminary hearing held in the matter, the school bus driver testified on behalf of Hartman and spoke of the student’s actions. The bus was transporting Lehigh-Carbon Intermediate Unit students.

Hartman told Judge Joseph J. Matika, who accepted the pleas, “I’m sad this whole thing happened.”

Matika placed her on probation for 18 months and ordered her to render 75 hours of community service, attend and successfully complete an anger management course, have no contact with the victim, make restitution to the victim’s parent for lost wages of $200, pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation.