Advertisement
HomeBlogsRoundup: A Vandalized Bus Fleet, Bullying on the Bus and More

Roundup: A Vandalized Bus Fleet, Bullying on the Bus and More

The crime was reported around midnight, then officers discovered that vandals stole a school bus from Maplewood High School bus and drove it through two fences to get onto the football field. Once on the grass, the thief performed doughnuts, which ruined the turf.

Tennessee police are now investigating the theft and vandalism. The number of perpetrators is unknown at this time. The bus was later towed away.

Maplewood High School stores several school buses in a parking lot, and the stolen bus was being stored on campus. A Nashville Public Schools spokesman said the door was pried open and cameras inside the bus were stolen. A vandal or vandals also tried to break into three other school buses, causing minor damage.

It’s unclear how the culprits were able to drive the bus since the keys are deposited in a keypad-enabled lock box on the bus. Administrators said they are still able to access the video captured from the stolen cameras, and security is downloading footage for review. Crews are repairing the fences, sprinkler system and field, and they expect it to be ready for use.

Advertisement

A seven-year-old North Carolina boy was reportedly beaten on a school bus by five classmates because he was a Muslim. According to Zeeshan-ul-Hassan Usmani, his youngest son, Abdul Aziz, was bullied by two girls and three boys.

“He was coming home in a school bus when one of his classmates came to him and started forcing some food in his mouth,” Usmani said. “Abdul said: ‘What is it? I only eat halal.’ But the other boy wouldn’t say. Then five classmates, who were only six or seven years old, started punching him in the face and chest.”

Usmani is a data scientist from Pakistan who came to the U.S. to study in 2004. He said that his son had his fingers hurt and his backpack thrown to the back of the bus.

“They kept hitting him all the way from school to home,” Usmani said. “It was a really shocking experience. He was traumatized.”

Lisa Luten of the Wake County Public School System said an investigation was launched by the principle of Weatherstone Elementary School, where Abdul was a student.

“The incident was reported last Friday, and usually the principal would wait for the next day to investigate, but because of the hurricane, the principle did the investigation that evening, as soon as it was reported,” Luten said.


A dash-cam video recently released showed an incident where the driver of a BMW attempted to make an illegal move and paid the price, getting his just deserts.

The video posted on YouTube opens with the BMW driver honking at the car in front of him. While the driver with the dash-cam obeyed the rules of the road and yielded to the school bus, the BMW driver got antsy.

When the BMW driver finally made his move, it ended badly as the driver didn’t notice the lane ends due to construction and he smashed into the school bus.

No one was hurt in the incident.


School bus driver Linda Bell, 63, faces one felony count of aggravated battery to a child, according to Orland Park police, after she was caught slapping a 4-year-old child with special needs.

Surveillance footage from the Sunrise Southwest bus showed Bell putting the District 135 student’s shoe on before hitting the child once in the face, police said.

A teacher heard the driver say, “I’m sorry for hitting you,” to the child, who had red cheek marks. Bell was arrested at her Alsip apartment. She remained jailed Monday night on a $50,000 bond, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.

Advertisement

November 2024

Meet the 2024 Transportation Director of the Year, Craig Beaver, director of transportation at Beaverton School District in Oregon....
Advertisement

Buyer’s Guide 2024

Find the latest vehicle production data and budget reports, industry trends, and contact information for state, national and federal...
Advertisement

Poll

Does your operation provide staff with end of the year performance evaluations?
49 votes
VoteResults
Advertisement