Boston Public Schools parent allegedly assaulted bus driver, officials say

The parent of a Boston Public Schools student allegedly assaulted a school bus driver on Tuesday afternoon – an incident that left Superintendent Marky Skipper feeling “outraged and disappointed”, as she told bus drivers. bus in a letter.

In separate correspondence to families at Charles H. Taylor Elementary School in Mattapan, principal Jennifer Marks wrote that a “parent was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with the bus driver on school bus B541 from the afternoon”.

“School staff were notified immediately as well as the Boston Public Schools Department of Transportation. Boston Police and a BPS Transportation Traffic Safety Supervisor were also notified and responded to the bus to provide assistance to students and staff,” Marks wrote.

“A replacement bus driver was sent to take the students home on the bus. Boston Police will investigate this incident and disciplinary action by law enforcement is also possible.

The letter from Skipper and Dan Rosengard, the district’s executive director of transportation, to BPS bus drivers on Wednesday says the driver involved in the incident “was assaulted by an adult while completing his trip.”

“I want to be very clear, violence of any kind is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the letter read. “We will ensure that our colleague receives the support he needs during his recovery. We also work with BPS Safety Services and the Boston Police Department to keep all of our school buses safe and accountable for anyone who engages in inappropriate behavior towards BPS personnel.

The two officials said the district’s Trauma Response Team is supporting students who may have witnessed the alleged assault, and said the city’s Employee Assistance Program has outreach services. support available to all drivers who needed it.

In a statement to Boston.com on Friday, a BPS spokesperson also condemned the alleged incident and said the district would cooperate with any investigation into what happened.

“Boston Public Schools takes the safety of all students and staff who travel on our buses very seriously,” Skipper and Rosengard wrote in their letter. “It is unacceptable for the safety of a school bus driver to be compromised. Our bus drivers work incredibly hard every day to ensure students are transported safely to and from school. It’s not an easy job and it takes tireless dedication. Every individual has the right to a safe working environment. Boston Public Schools is committed to an ongoing partnership with Transdev and USW Local 8751 ensuring a safe work environment for bus drivers serving Boston Public Schools.