LEBANON, Ind. — A substitute school bus driver here was fired after two people from another vehicle boarded the driver’s bus.

Lebanon Community School Corp. said in a statement that the incident occurred on the afternoon of March 14, as the substitute driver was transporting about 15 middle and high school students home. Another vehicle “indicated that the bus needed to pull over for an unknown reason,” and then two people entered the bus, the school district said.

According to The Lebanon Reporter, the two people, who were driving a blue Hummer, accosted a student who they said had made a rude gesture at them.

Lebanon Community School Corp. said that the two people left the bus voluntarily, and no students were injured. The school bus driver reported the incident, and the district said it immediately notified parents of students who were on the bus.

Superintendent Robert Taylor also sent a letter about the incident to parents in the district.

“We want to assure you that we have taken the steps necessary to ensure that when students are being transported by LCSC, their safety and well-being is not compromised,” Taylor wrote.

The superintendent noted that while all school bus drivers undergo annual training, the district “initiated an immediate meeting to review district policies for student safety and transportation.”

Lebanon Community School Corp. also launched an investigation of the incident, which included reviewing video surveillance footage from the bus. The administration determined that the school bus driver did not follow district policy, and the driver was fired.

Jen Todderud, public affairs and communications coordinator for the district, told SBF that a camera on the school bus captured identifying information on the other vehicle. Based on that information, the district believes it has identified the individuals who boarded the bus, Todderud said.

About the author
Thomas McMahon

Thomas McMahon

Executive Editor

Thomas had covered the pupil transportation industry with School Bus Fleet since 2002. When he's not writing articles about yellow buses, he enjoys running long distances and making a joyful noise with his guitar.

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