Canton bus driver pleads guilty to summary charge of disorderly conduct
A Canton Township man who was driving Avella Area Junior/Senior High School students when he allegedly stopped the bus so one of the students could steal a traffic cone pleaded guilty Tuesday to a summary charge of disorderly conduct after more serious charges were withdrawn.
Michael Dennis Slider, 54, of 483 W. Wylie Ave., also had been charged with 31 counts of reckless endangerment and one count each of theft and corruption of minors by Avella Area School District police Officer David Watts. Those charges were withdrawn prior to the start of a scheduled preliminary hearing before District Judge David Mark. On the disorderly conduct charge, Slider was fined the maximum $300 and ordered to pay $161 in court costs.
Slider was driving the bus for GG&C, transporting the students from Western Area Career and Technology Center in Chartiers Township back to the school Sept. 15. One of the students reportedly asked him to stop the bus in a construction zone so she could take the cone.
Authorities said the incident was discovered when the bus returned to the school and the girl asked a teacher to store the cone in her classroom.
Slider is no longer driving buses for Avella.