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Mass. school bus driver fired after allegedly urinating inside bus with students onboard
Officials say the 71-year-old driver was on his way to an elementary school with 12 pre-K to second-grade students.
A 71-year-old school bus driver in Swansea was fired from driving for the district after allegedly urinating inside a bus while transporting young students Monday morning, officials said.
The driver, who works for Amaral Bus Company, which provides transportation services to all Swansea Public Schools, was en route to Hoyle Elementary School with 12 students ranging from pre-K to second grade when the incident occurred, according to a joint statement from school officials and the Swansea Police Department.
Officials said the driver instructed the students to move to the back of the bus before allegedly relieving himself while seated behind the wheel.
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After the bus arrived at the school, some students reported the behavior to teachers, prompting an investigation, the statement says.
As of Monday afternoon, no criminal charges had been filed, although the incident remained under investigation by police. The driver’s name has not been released.
Authorities said it is not believed that any students directly witnessed the act. School officials notified the parents of all students on the bus and reported the incident to the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families.
Superintendent Scott Holcomb informed Amaral Transportation that the driver would no longer be permitted to work with Swansea Public Schools. School officials said they are reviewing their relationship with the company, including its hiring practices, and discussing “the measures they will take to ensure something like this does not happen again.”
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“This is a matter we take extremely seriously,” the statement says. “This type of behavior in the presence of children, especially young children, is unacceptable, and we will continue to look into the incident.”
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