Adults to ride on Washington elementary buses Changes made after driver seen shouting at students on video
Three adults, including Washington School District’s chief of police, accompanied students on their bus ride to and from the elementary school Thursday, a day after a video was circulated on social media showing the bus driver shouting at the children.
Washington School District Superintendent George Lammay said that starting Monday, the district will have an adult on board at least four of the eight elementary buses during their daily runs.
“In the interest of safety and security for our students and our bus drivers, we will have additional security personnel on the buses,” said Lammay. “If we can staff all eight buses, we will, but we will have security personnel on at least four buses, including bus No. 5,” Lammay said, referring to the bus involved in Wednesday’s incident.
On the video, the bus driver, John King, is seen yelling at the students, in grades three through six, telling them to “shut up.”
The video, captured by a student on a cellphone, also showed the driver calling students “morons” and “dummies.”
Some parents on social media called for the bus driver to be fired, while others voiced support for him, and wrote misbehavior on school buses is an issue that bus drivers often have to deal with.
Lammay also supported the driver and acknowledged the challenges bus drivers face, but said he did not condone the way King talked to some of the students.
“You put a person in that seat, driving a large vehicle with 50 kids behind them when they can’t turn and look when there are kids causing disruptions, and it’s a difficult thing. Our drivers are put in difficult situations. But I don’t want our kids being called those names. We expect our kids to be treated respectfully,” said Lammay.
The move to place additional adults on the buses is intended to help prevent disruptions and maintain order.
Lammay said the district’s goal is to provide a safe and secure environment for students, “and we all have to do our part. I have to do my part, parents have to do their part, we all need to do our part.”