19 May 2009

But you don't have to, and she knows it

Talked to the principal again and called the bus driver's boss today. He said the drivers are subjected to intensive background checks, as I expected, and, "We have to go through our proper channels." The first step, he said, was for him to talk with the driver about the behavior.

Meanwhile, I'm writing all this down, and putting it in a letter.

Today my kid just told me this same bus driver had asked her a few months ago to say something into his phone when it was in recording mode about the other kid he'd paired my kid with, so he could play it back when the other kid got on the bus. She told him, "I'm not going to do that." "But you have to," the driver told her. "No, I'm not going to do that," she said.

She also told me more details about how his seat-blocking game works. Pairs of kids can get to the first two seats, but he blocks the rest of the seats by lying across the second row of seats, while he plays with his iPhone. (Is he taking pictures of them?) So kids who have buddies sit up front, and anyone who wants to sit alone in the back of the bus has to wait for him to clear the way.

See how he isolates kids and creates uncomfortable situations for them? This is predator behavior, friends. This is not someone who cares for children.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I say trust your deepest instincts. I feel this is a major red flag! Schools are known to try to keep things mum and hush aka "going through proper channels". This is clearly a premeditated act he knew to bring the recorded, knew who he was targeting, and knew what he wanted them to say- SICK!

For my situation the excuses were well technically they don't work for the school but the state etc. etc. so they did NOTHING to reprimend the situation.

Personally I would not let her ride the bus until they put a NEW driver on her route- even threaten to put her in a charter school. (they only respond the money often)

This sounds really scarry! I am so proud of your daughter for standing up for herself and talking to you!

Nothing I say matters though- get proffessional opinions Lawyer first, then psychologist and pediatrician.

Share the story publicly with the PTA and board- the school may or may not like it. But parents know you have the childrens best interest in heart.

I hate confronting this kinds of things. Bus drivers playing games with lying on seats- OMG!

I would even report the incident with the police. Even if they do nothing there will be a paper trail later if something happens to someone so they can prove the school did not act accordingly to protect.

Blessings and protection to you and yours!

BrenDB