MISSOURI CITY, Texas – Students say their school bus driver stopped the bus in traffic on a bridge and told the children to drive themselves home.
Baines Middle School students on the bus said it started when the driver became angry because several children on the bus were being loud. The students said the driver stopped the bus on a busy bridge in traffic, packed up her purse and got up to leave.
"We asked her, 'Why did you stop the bus?' And she turned off the engine and threw the keys at me, and said, 'No, since you want to ask questions and make problems, you drive the bus.' It was terrifying," said student Morgan Billingsley.
"I was thinking that I wouldn't get home," said student Laila Sauls.
The students snapped cellphone photos of the driver standing in the street outside the bus. They also took photos of the bus keys in Morgan Billingsley's hands. The students called their parents for help.
"To say I'm appalled is an understatement. It is one thing to be frustrated by kids. I completely get that, but you are in a position where you are supposed to be trained to deal with unruly noisy children. She does not need to be working with children," said mother Reshonda Tate Billingsley.
"I think she should be fired," said mother Tiffany Sauls.
Fort Bend ISD said the frustrated bus driver got off the bus to call a supervisor to send a replacement driver. The district said the bus driver is not currently driving buses for the district while the district investigates her actions.
Several parents said this is not the first time they have had problems with the driver.
"She's used the N word with our children," said Reshonda Tate Billingsley.
The district said they investigated the racial allegations several months ago and decided the driver would not be terminated. However, the district said those past complaints will be considered along with the new allegations when deciding what will now happen to the bus driver.
The district sent an alert to parents about the incident on the bridge. They also said they regret what happened and will take appropriate action.