SEALY BUS DRIVER INVESTIGATED AFTER PARENTAL COMPLAINTS
Parents in the Sealy ISD are calling for a bus driver to be fired after an incident last week for making child passengers roll their windows up despite the high temperatures.
On Thursday, August 22, children were riding the school bus home with outside temperatures of 103 degrees with a heat index of 108 to 112 degrees.
The bus did not have air conditioning. However, the driver had a fan blowing on her at the front of the bus.
The driver reportedly had the students close the windows of the bus after they were sticking their hands outside.
She later stopped the bus after one student stuck his head out of the window, and admonished the student for over two minutes, which prolonged their time in the heat.
Students also accused her of deliberately driving home slowly over an unpaved road in order to punish them for complaining. The driver denies the accusation.
According to a report by KHOU-TV, the driver has been taken off the route, but still works for the district.
One parent, who has a daughter on the bus that suffers from chronic asthma, has retained an attorney, and is considering legal action.
Sealy ISD Superintendent Bryan Hallmark released a statement saying,
“Last week we were made aware of concerns about a lack of air conditioning on many of our buses. We also received reports that students were not allowed to put their windows down on a bus and that the driver stopped a bus to address a student discipline issue. We take these concerns very seriously. Upon investigating these reports last Thursday, a driver did require a student who was sticking his head out the window to put up his window and the driver stopped the bus for approximately 2 minutes and 20 seconds to address the student. During the route the roof hatches and windows were open. Last Friday, administrators made adjustments to the amount of time the bus spends on unpaved roads so our students can arrive home as quickly and safely as possible. It does get hot on the buses, especially in August. Thankfully, we are experiencing cooler temperatures this week.”