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Family claims school bus driver fell asleep, company disputes
A Milwaukee family says a school bus driver fell asleep while transporting students Monday morning, but the bus company disputes that claim and says the driver had pulled over for a break.
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee family says a school bus driver fell asleep while transporting students Monday morning, March 23, but the bus company disputes that claim and says the driver had pulled over for a break.
What they're saying:
A Milwaukee mother, who asked not to be identified to avoid retaliation against her child, said her 11-year-old son texted her at 6:42 a.m. saying the driver was asleep.
"When I finally looked at the video, I’m like, oh my God," the mother said. "You could have just called into work. You have more than just your life at hand. It’s children’s lives."
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The family says the bus was headed to Keefe Avenue School with multiple students on board near 32nd and Locust.
Radio host Homer Blow said his grandson recorded the video.
"These buses are carrying our prized possessions," he said.
Blow said he addressed the situation on his show after he felt the concern was not taken seriously.
"The lack of concern, the fact that they didn’t want to believe a video, which clearly, in my opinion and all of my coworkers on the show this morning, we all saw a bus driver that was asleep, woke up briefly and went to sleep again," Blow said.
The other side:
Wisconsin Central School Bus disputes that version of events. A company spokesperson said the driver was not asleep but had pulled to the right side of the road because she arrived early to her next stop.
The company said Idle notifications showed the bus was stopped for about 12 minutes. The bus company declined an on-camera interview but said it takes all allegations seriously.
The family says they are seeking accountability or, at minimum, an apology.
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What we know:
In a letter to families, the assistant principal of Keefe Avenue School said the bus company considered the stop unauthorized and would address the issue with the driver.
The following was sent to families:
"Dear Keefe Route 0511 Families, we value you as a member of our school community, and we want you to know about a situation that took place on your child’s school bus.
Yesterday morning, your child’s bus driver was running ahead of schedule and because of this, they pulled over to the side of the road. During this stop, the driver was observed briefly reading a book while waiting to continue the route. The bus company considered this an unauthorized stop and will be addressing that with the driver.
If you have any questions, please contact the school office at (414) 267-4800."
The Source: FOX6 talked with Wisconsin Central School Bus and utilized an email from Milwaukee Public Schools sent to affected families.