District apologizes for calling for school bus driver’s firing
Officials from an Alberta school district change their stance after seeing a second video of a school bus incident that shows a student hitting the driver with a bag.
EDMONTON, Alberta — Officials from a school district here said on Tuesday that they were wrong to call for a school bus driver’s firing for an incident that was recorded by two different cameras — each painting a different picture of what happened.
The first video of the May 25 incident was shot on the cell phone of a passenger sitting at the back of the bus. It appears to show the driver throwing another student’s bag off of the bus and making him get off as well. Other passengers can be heard yelling in outrage — “You can’t do that!”, “He doesn’t know how to get back home!” Then the camera turns to show the student standing at a corner as the bus pulls away.
After seeing that cell phone video, which was aired by news media, the Edmonton Catholic School District board called for the school bus driver to be terminated. The driver is an employee of contractor Cunningham Transport.
According to CBC News, Cunningham refused to fire the driver but did take him off of the district’s routes.
Cunningham then provided a second video of the school bus incident to media outlets. That clip, taken by a dashcam that the driver had installed, put the driver’s actions into context.
In the dashcam video, the student who was later ejected from the bus can be seen apparently kicking and hitting a passenger in the seat across the aisle from him. Then another student walks to the front of the bus and hits the driver in the head with a large duffel bag before he disembarks.
As for the student who had apparently been kicking and hitting another passenger, Cunningham Operations Manager Laura Doroshenko said that he also threatened to throw his backpack at the driver, CBC News reports. On the dashcam video, the driver can be seen throwing that student’s backpack off of the bus and making him leave.
"The driver felt at the time that this was the safest location for the student in question, but also to ensure the safety of the students on board," Doroshenko said in a written statement provided to CBC News.
After seeing the dashcam video, the Edmonton Catholic School District board changed its stance.
“In light of the second video showing an assault on the driver, we realize we should not have requested the driver’s termination,” district officials said in a statement, adding that they “have apologized to his employer, Cunningham Transportation Services, and will be apologizing to the driver as soon as we can reach him."
The district is conducting an investigation of the incident and is reviewing its use of video surveillance and safety protocols on buses.
“The district does not in any way condone the behaviour of the two students involved in the separate incidents on the bus,” officials said, “and the principals for both students were made aware of the situation so that they could take measures, which they have.”
Watch both videos here. From the school bus passenger’s cell phone:
From the dashcam at the front of the bus:
More Management

Transfinder Expands California Footprint with Multiple School District Wins
Six California school districts selected the company's routing platform and related transportation technology as Transfinder continues expanding its presence across the state.
Read More →NSTA's Curt Macysyn on Student Transportation History and What's Next
Hear from NSTA's executive director as we discuss student transportation's role in American history, federal regulation, driver recruitment, illegal passing, AI, and what might be next, in this Route interview.
Read More →NSTA on 250 Years of America and the Road Ahead for Student Transportation
Curt Macysyn joins The Route to discuss student transportation's role in American history, federal regulation, driver recruitment, illegal passing, AI, and the industry’s future. Sponsored by IC Bus.
Read More →
Photo Highlights: Inside the 2026 Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation Conference
Snapshots from the 2026 MAPT conference, where Michigan's school transportation professionals gathered for training, technology updates, awards, networking, and more.
Read More →
Zonar Launches Reimagined Bus Suite Web Portal
Can one platform replace your transportation software stack? Zonar says its new Bus Suite unifies routing, dispatch, field trips, GPS, and parent communication.
Read More →
Indiana Association Announces 2026 Award Winners
See who earned top honors at the 2026 School Transportation Association of Indiana conference, recognizing excellence in school transportation statewide.
Read More →
Student Transportation of America Acquires Massachusetts Contractor
Tremblay’s Bus Company and its 400-bus fleet joins the STA family of brands as the company grows its presence across the Northeast U.S.
Read More →
Michigan Association Announces 2026 Award Winners
See who earned top honors at the 2026 Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation conference, recognizing excellence in school transportation statewide.
Read More →Inside MAPT 2026: Michigan’s School Transportation Community Connects at Boyne Mountain
Check out highlights from the 2026 MAPT Summer Conference, where over 300 transportation pros gathered for training, networking, awards, and trade show.
Read More →
Summit School Services to Complete Fleetwide Samsara Technology Rollout
The company said outfitting its entire fleet with AI-powered safety and fleet management technology will strengthen student safety and operational efficiency across its local brands.
Read More →


