A video shot this week by a Massachusetts parent shows a confrontation between parents and a bus driver. It is unclear what sparked the confrontation.
The 10-minute video shows children crying and screaming because they could not get off the bus, parents cursing at the bus driver, and the parent who shot the video encouraging the children to open emergency back door and exit. A statement from the school district states that:
“The driver was attempting to ensure that kindergarten students were matched with the proper parent before releasing them from the school bus,” the statement reads. “Parents became impatient and insisted that the driver release all the students immediately. When the driver refused, one or more parents started to enter the school bus. The driver informed them that adults are not allowed on the school bus with students on board. They refused to leave and the driver was instructed by the Durham supervisor to close the entrance door. Parents broke the door and entered the school bus.” It goes on to say that “the school bus driver was also physically assaulted, struck at least two times in the face.”
During a seminar at the STN EXPO presented by Gray Ram Tactical, LLC, attendees learned that angry parents are the most common trespassers on school buses.
An Indiana school bus driver safely returned a missing three-year-old to his mother this morning after the child walked out of their home while the mother slept. The mother, who asked not to be identified, told the local Fort Wayne News she knew her son was missing when she woke up and found the front door open. Benjamin Duvall, a local school bus driver, heard about the missing child over his bus radio, along with a description and potential location. Duvall decided to drive there and saw the child sitting on the grass, picked him up and contacted authorities.
Oct. 8 is International Walk to School Day, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership provides several resources to help schools and parents plan local events. First there is thrivingschools.kaiserpermanente.org, a resource developed in partnership with Kaiser Permanente and the National PTA that includes activity planners and fundraising tools. The National Partnership is also partnering with CLIF Kid to provide activity sheets and safety tips. Walk to School Day events can be registered at walkbiketoschool.org.
A Miami teenager who was shot and killed in a school bus in 2012 had a street named after her to honor her memory. Lourdes Guzman-De Jesus was on her way to school on a private bus when a fellow student took out a gun and displayed it. The gun went off and struck Guzman-De Jesus. She later died at a nearby hospital.
Boston school officials have opted not to record audio on school buses, amid complaints from parents and civil liberties groups. Officials had initially planned on turning on the microphones on over 650 surveillance cameras, but will now only record video.
A Montana appeals court has upheld a $28.4-million jury award in a lawsuit filed by Education Logistics Inc., against Laidlaw Transit (now First Student), which alleged that Laidlaw violated a licensing agreement for routing software.
In 2012, a jury found that First Student was in breach of contract and awarded $28.4 million to Educational Logistics.
A U.S District judge later reduced the award, and First Student appealed the verdict while Educational Logistics appealed the reduction.
