When parents send their kids to school on the bus, they are committing their children’s lives to someone who is almost certainly a total stranger. Although this may seem weird in principle, bus drivers often prioritize the interests and safety of their valuable cargo above everything else. There are, though, some transportation experts who are just there to earn a salary.
While bullying has been a problem in schools since the beginning of time, no parent ever expects it to be fostered by the individuals entrusted with safeguarding their kids. Unfortunately, this was the situation when one child confronted his tormentor.
A video captured by another student depicts a little boy’s anguished appeal to an Oklahoma bus driver to rescue him from being pummeled by his bullies. In the video, the boy can be heard screaming and refusing to get off the bus as the Locust Grove staffer shouts at him to “get outta here!”
The tearful youngster is then pushed to walk off the bus by the yelling driver so that an older student waiting at the doors may assault him. The bully is then seen repeatedly punching the youngster.
The youngster begs the driver to drop him off at his home instead of the corner stop, only to be instructed to get off the bus. Another kid on the bus is heard advising the victim to “run” away from the bully. The audio is clearly distressing, demonstrating the bus driver’s heartlessness even as the youngster is brutally battered only feet away.
The Mayes County Sheriff’s Office has launched an inquiry into the event and has analyzed the video evidence. Surprisingly, the police were not even aware of the interaction until a week later. As a result, Howell said that police are collaborating with Locust Grove Public Schools to remove the black box from the bus so that the investigation can be completed.
After examining the film, the school district issued a statement about the event. Yet, the district’s evasive and emotionless answer has fueled greater criticism and charges of ineptitude at the school:
On January 17, two children were involved in an incident on one of our school buses at Locust Grove Public Schools. The event was reported to authorities, and the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a thorough investigation. Internally, the pupils’ and bus driver’s behavior have been handled.
The district has declined to confirm whether or not the bus driver is still employed. Moreover, there is no word on whether the bully has been punished, leading many to conclude that the school has no intention of fixing the situation.
This occurrence is likely to have long-term consequences for the youngster. He suffered physical abuse at the hands of another student, but he also fell for deceptive advice from an adult he ought to have trusted.
Several people have rushed to the school district’s Facebook page to demand that the bully and driver face consequences for their actions. It is alarming to see that other students in the school show that this level of incompetence and disinterest has plagued the district for some time. Whatever the case, it’s doubtful that any fruitful effort will be made until the public continues to hold the school system accountable for their inactivity.
