MUSKEGON, Mich. — A Dean Transportation school bus driver and bus aide have been fired for ordering several elementary students off the bus for eating and sharing a bag of chips on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
The students are from Muskegon Public Schools, and Matthew Cortez, the district's superintendent, sent a letter to parents Monday calling the actions "deplorable."
Muskegon Public Schools said the elementary students were kicked off the bus several stops before their stop. A group of older children guided the younger kids to safety.
According to Cortez, the driver and the aide did not report the incident. Dean Transportation and Muskegon Public Schools learned of it on Thursday morning when parents notified the bus garage.
An investigation found the complaints of the parents were valid, and both the driver and the aide were put on leave before they were eventually fired.
"It confirmed how the actions of the driver and aide put students at risk. Their actions were deplorable and violated district policies, ethics and protocol," said Cortez.
The superintendent said he met with the owner of Dean Transportation, who was also "shocked" by the actions of the driver and the aide.
Cortez said he also met with the students involved.
"I apologized for the actions of these people, and told the older Big Reds students how proud I am of them for taking care of the younger ones," he said. "While I cannot undo what happened, I am sorry for the offensive actions of these two people, and I will make sure they are never allowed to transport our students again."
Read Cortez's letter to parents here:
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