BY TED SHOCKLEY, Eastern Shore Post —
Accomack Superintendent of Schools Rhonda Hall said she is investigating a parent’s allegation that a bus driver used profanity while disciplining students.
A video recorded by an Arcadia Middle School student shows the bus driver yelling at the students, “It’s the dumbasses that are making all of us miserable.”
The bus driver, a woman, continued.
“You people are never going to learn,” she yelled at the children.
The parent, Rayshon Reid, said “profane language” from the driver is frequent.
In the video, a child asks another, “Does she always cuss like this?”
“Yes,” several children answer.
The video was given to the Eastern Shore Post by Reid.
Reid alleged the bus driver made his son get off the bus at their home one morning after boarding it, without explanation.
The bus driver also made his son get off the bus after school on a different day.
Nobody called Reid to tell him his son was left at the school, he said.
Reid said he has reported the driver’s profanity and behavior to school authorities, but said “adequate measures have not been taken to address these egregious behaviors.”
Reid also feared that a shortage of bus drivers in Accomack might prompt school officials to overlook the incident to keep the driver.
Hall said in an email that the driver’s “behavior does not reflect the standards we hold for our staff.”
She added: “I want to assure all parents that the lack of bus drivers would not interfere with how we address inappropriate behaviors by our drivers.”
Reid said, “As members of the community, we have a collective responsibility to advocate for the safety and dignity of our children”
The video gives a glimpse of the uproarious atmosphere of a school bus, with some children apparently laughing at the driver’s tirade.
Accomack County has lost dozens of bus drivers in recent years, causing some drivers to double their morning and afternoon runs — necessitating earlier school start times for secondary students.
School officials have said there are dozens of bus driver positions available.
Reid said his son gets on the bus at 6:20 a.m. daily.
“The parent’s concern is being thoroughly investigated, and appropriate actions will be taken if necessary which align with Accomack County Public Schools policies,” Hall said.
