CANTON, Ohio — A Canton City School District bus driver and a bus assistant are facing discipline after they allegedly left a preschooler on a bus alone for nearly two hours, according to the Canton Repository.
“The district would like to sincerely apologize for the unfortunate and inexcusable mistake that happened (Friday),” Interim Superintendent Barbara Maceyak wrote in a statement to the Canton Repository. “The safety and security of our students is our highest priority and something every one of our employees takes very seriously. ... We will work diligently to ensure that safety procedures are strictly followed. The district will exercise all of its legal authority to ensure that the bus driver faces the appropriate consequences.”
The 4-year-old boy who was left alone on the bus was not injured.
Maceyak said the bus driver and the assistant failed to follow safety procedures Friday morning when they did not check the bus to see if any students were still on board, according to the Canton Repository.
It's unclear what type of discipline the two district employees will face. Maceyak said the employees have rights to due process and couldn't elaborate any further, but she did say that neither employee is working on a district bus.
