A former Barrow County School system bus driver who was terminated last week for “inappropriate contact” with a student has been accused of soliciting sex from a 16-year-old student.
The stepfather of a 16 year-old female student of Winder-Barrow High School contacted police after learning his stepdaughter and the bus driver had been texting each other. The stepfather said he sent a text to the bus driver asking why the man was texting his stepdaughter. In responding to the text, the bus driver wrote that he did not recognize the number from which the stepfather’s text originated. The stepfather said he later discovered that the bus driver changed his number immediately after receiving the text.
When questioned by police and school officials, the student admitted she and the bus driver had been engaged in a phone relationship. The student said the two had also been in contact on Facebook.
According to the girl, the bus driver asked to have sex with her and also requested oral sex. The girl further advised that the bus driver sent her a picture of his penis.
Det. Sgt. Rachel Love of the Winder Police Department said the investigation is still ongoing and no charges have yet been filed against the driver.
The bus driver is accused of calling several students on their cellular phones and listing them as friends on social networking sites. According to Love, the investigation is complex and involves multiple jurisdictions.
“I’m certain with Winder Police Department, Barrow County Sheriff’s Office and Barrow County Schools working together we will be able to come to a conclusion very soon,” Love said.
Lisa Leighton, public relations coordinator for Barrow County Schools said the system had a zero tolerance policy regarding inappropriate contact with students.
“The safety of all of our students is our upmost priority and concern,” Leighton said. “Immediate and swift action was taken as soon as these allegations were made known to us and as of March 23, 2010, the employee is no longer employed with Barrow County Schools.”
Leighton said school officials will support local authorities in prosecuting any infractions to the fullest extent of the law.
Just because one bus driver screwed up, does not mean that all bus drivers do this type of thing. Some of you who are saying things like this could possibly be doing the same thing. Unless you know any person personally, do not make accusations that you can't prove. Yes, this driver is wrong, but all bus drivers do not do these things. Get to know your child's driver if you have any concerns about what they go thru. I happen to know several of the Barrow County Drivers and I would trust my children with them before I would any of you!!!!! As far as the cover ups; unless you work for the Bus Department, you really do not know how things are handled so it might serve you well to keep your mouths shut on this subject. I pay my taxes just like you, so why don't we just let the Sheriff's Dept do thier job and stop asting like we have an inside scoop. If I didn't know better, I would say that for you that are dogging the Bus drivers or Transportation, are former drivers that have gotten fired....
I BELIEVE IN MY HEART THAT HE IS INICENT. WHAT HE NEEDS RIGHT NOW INSTEED OF EVERYONE TALKING BAD ABOUT HIM IS THEY NEED TO SUPPORT HIM.
IF YOU CAN SUPPORT HIM THEN THINK TO YOUR SELF IF YOU WAS IN HIS SHOES, WOULD YOU WANT EVERYONE TO GANG UP ON YOU IF YYOU WERE INICENT. ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE HIM...
ow how to spell. Bus drivers don't have to have any kind of degree or certification - just people off the streets who can drive a bus.
And that part about Bus Drivers are just people off the street. You need to go apply for a Bus Driver's job and see if you can get a job.We Bus Drivers are PROFESSIONALS. We go through special training to get our CDL's.
Bus Drivers have more responsibly than teachers. When we are driving that Bus we have the children's life in our hands, but we don't get the pay or the thanks that teachers get.Think about this before you OPEN MOUTH AND INSERT FOOT NEXT TIME.
In regards to the comment "Hey Daddy, have you looked at you daughter's dress manner. Does she dress like a LADY or is everything hanging out everywhere,like so many young girls today." It doesn't matter how the studnets dress, this bus driver is an ADULT who needs to realize that the young girls he is eyeing are under age. He is a pervert, who needs to learn to keep it in his pants.
Now, I personally know this particular bus driver. In fact, I rode his bus while in high school. I noticed he was always overly friendly with the female students, me in particular. The day after I graduated high school, he asked me for my number and asked me out on dates stating, "You don't ride my bus anymore...'friends' will do whatever 'friends' want to do..." Back to the quote, "how's your daughter dressing," not once have I ever dressed "with everything hanging out". Therefore, without even presenting myself to this dog, I was still saught after.
Given this person's track record, isn't it interesting how with no identification posted in the original article, we could all identify this person. All we needed were the clues "Winder Barrow High School, 30-year old male, and (here' the kicker) 'inappropriate contact with several students.'"
Saddening, but not surprising given the sort of ignorance I've seen here.
All you have is one person claiming he's adding kids on Facebook and a chorus of unaccountable commentators making claims. If you have a charge, bring it against him in court.
going on that could make Barrow County Schools
look bad.
This just opened the door for the ones that know all the corruption going on, the director and his followers they all loved this driver, look at the hostile work environment they created. Talking about setting examples,not good!!
I agree,the Transportation Department should be looked at by the new superintendent! Because the only thing the Director is guilty of is making the good folks there earn their pay check, its been given to them for standing around with their hands in their pockets for so long that making them work for it is a challenge in its self. As far as the Driver, he married one child from his bus, that says enough.let the officials take care of it, they get paid for that sort of thing like some of you should figure out what you're getting paid for.As for me I worry about the children, its who I am and what I get paid for.....
Isn't critical thinking great? :D