Thursday, Sep. 17, 2009

Driver on bus during fight will no longer work in Belleville school district

BELLEVILLE -- The district superintendent, in a statement on Belleville Township High School District 201's Web site, said the person driving the bus on which two students pummeled another student Monday will no longer be allowed to drive for the school district.

"After review of the driver's actions during this event, it has been determined that this driver will no longer transport District 201 students," the superintendent, Greg Moats said in the statement, which has Wednesday's date on it.

He could not be immediately reached for comment regarding the statement.

A spokesman for First Student Inc., the bus driver's employer, said the driver, whose name has not been released, will be able to keep his job with the company.

Maureen Richmond, the spokesman, said the company suspended the driver while they conducted an internal investigation, which was completed Wednesday.

"We are confident our driver did follow the correct procedure during the altercation he witnessed, and he will be reinstated," Richmond said.

In the video recording of the fight, the bus driver can be heard yelling at the students to "sit down" and using a radio to report a fight. He did not pull over and kept the bus headed toward school.

When a student told the bus driver the victim is bleeding, the bus driver can be heard saying that a nurse was waiting at the school.

Also in the school district statement, Moats said the victim's family "...Expresses hope that this event serves to strengthen school environments by improving our nation's awareness of the potential problems that exist in transporting students on buses and bullying in any situation."

He has told a reporter the victim has not yet returned to school.

The school board on Monday in closed session at a regular meeting likely will discuss discipline for students involved in this week's school bus fight, school board member and past president Kurt Schroeder said.

School administrators already suspended seven Belleville West High School students, though no one has been charged in connection with the attack, which occurred Monday morning. Police at first said it might have been racially motivated, but later said they believe it was an example of bullying. Two teens, a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old, face possible juvenile charges.

Moats also said in the statement that any disciplinary action must be taken within 10 days of the incident, and that administrators can only suspend students without board approval, not expel them.

Schroeder said that while the public on Monday will not be able to hear the discussion about potential discipline, any final decision will be made in the following open session at the meeting. As is standard procedure, however, the board will not release the names of those students who are disciplined.

The board met Wednesday afternoon in a special meeting that had been scheduled before Monday's fight for an unrelated disciplinary matter. The board decided to expel a student over the unrelated matter, Schroeder said.

Moats said a couple of "troubled parents" showed up to the special meeting and made some comments to the board, but the board did not discuss the fight.

When asked whether school administrators will do anything to address the matter with the entire student body, Schroeder said they currently are "exploring all options."

Belleville West Principal Bob Dahm has said he is working with students to air a school-wide broadcast Friday morning about the school's STOP (Students and Teachers Offering Protection) program. The program gives students resources against bullying. He also has said the high school will work with St. Louis' Characterplus, a character education program.

Also, according to Belleville West's Web site, there will be a STOP parent meeting from 7-8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Belleville West High School, 4063 Frank Scott Parkway, in room B113.

Moats said he will meet with his staff this week to consider resources available and prioritize ways to handle the situation with the rest of the student body, though no action has been finalized. He said he also is trying to obtain funding from the U.S. Department of Education for "special events and items that would help right now with the healing."