Artis Hughes -- the former RTA bus driver who is accused of uppercutting an unruly female passenger -- was scheduled to have a pretrial hearing in his assault case Thursday in Shaker Heights Municipal court.

However, a change of plea hearing has been scheduled for April 2 instead, according to online court records.

The scheduling of the hearing itself is not legally an admission of guilt.

Meanwhile, Shidea Lane -- the woman Hughes is accused of striking -- was charged with disorderly conduct and a trial has been scheduled for May 2 in Shaker Heights Municipal Court.

Hughes, 59,  and Lane, 25, were involved in an altercation — which was recorded on a cell phone and later became a viral video — on an RTA bus in Beachwood last fall.

Lane reportedly boarded an RTA #5 bus Sept. 18 without paying. A dispute began that ended in Hughes, who was driving the bus, uppercutting Lane.

Hughes was subsequently charged with a misdemeanor count of assault; Lane, with disorderly conduct.

Artis, a 22-year-veteran of the Cleveland RTA, was fired from the RTA following the incident and his union is fighting for his job. Arbitration is pending.