06/11/2006

Driver forced students off bus, officials say

BY SHERI McWHIRTER

sherimcwhirter@hotmail.com

GAYLORD — A Gaylord Community Schools bus driver may be fired Monday after apparently abandoning students on an unfamiliar dirt road.

Gaylord bus driver Sena Black allegedly forced some students from the school bus she was driving on May 22, authorities said. The students did not know where they were and called their parents from a nearby home.

Retiring Gaylord Superintendent Carl Hilling said he reacted in disbelief when a parent called him about the incident. He spoke with Susan Jenkins, district transportation director, and she confirmed the incident, Hilling said.

Officials reviewed a digital video recording from the school bus monitoring system, which includes sound.

Hilling said the students can be heard on the recording telling the driver that they did not know where they were. The recording captured the driver's response of 'I don't care,' he said.

"You could hear the intimidation in her voice," Hilling said.

Hilling called the bus driver's actions inappropriate, regardless of whether the students were misbehaving. The video did not show any bad behavior by the students, he said.

Black was suspended with pay until the Gaylord Board of Education meets Monday night in Gaylord.

School board member Scott Chesley is chairman of the personnel committee and said his first concern was for the students' safety.

"It potentially could have put some kids in jeopardy," Chesley said.

Jenkins could not be reached for comment Friday at the bus garage.

Chesley said he did not know how long Black has been a district employee, the number or ages of the involved students, nor exactly where she dropped them

Black could not be reached for comment on Friday.

The board meeting begins at 7:15 p.m. at the board's Gaylord office of South Elm Avenue.