Bus Driver Accused Of Denying Elementary Students A/C

[Family Ties Forever!]

link (http://www.click2houston.com/news/17345428/detail.html)

Bus Driver Accused Of Denying Students A/C

Posted: 10:04 am CDT August 30, 2008

Houston -- A bus driver accused of punishing elementary school students by turning off the air conditioning and rolling up the windows was reprimanded Friday by the Crosby school system.

Bus driver Michelle Crawford has worked for the school district since March 2007 and has no previous disciplinary record, said district spokesman Robert Tatman. Crawford has been placed on probation and will continue to drive.

An attempt by The Associated Press to reach Crawford at her home was unsuccessful.

"She drives the bus because she loves kids and she loves to work," said a man who answered the phone Friday night.

Parents complained to the district transportation department after seeing their children exit the bus Thursday afternoon sweaty and flushed, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Tatman said the driver told department officials she was having problems with the students and told them she was going to turn off the radio until they quieted down.

"That did not work," Tatman said. "Then what happened was that she went ahead and said that she would turn off the air conditioner. You know, trying to get them to be quiet."

Parent Jennifer Colombo said she was "infuriated."

"Especially with all the stories you hear about children dying in hot cars, there's no reason anyone should be disciplined that way," she told the newspaper.

Crosby is about 22 miles west of Houston.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Lee]

I think what that bus driver did was awful! Children have actually been
known to die in such weather. Wreckless8228836, I don't know why you
think that is a good thing. You seem to have a real moral problem.

[Stuck In The '70's]

We never even had a/c's on the bus when I was in school. Times have changed. lol However I agree closing all the windows is pretty bad and she shouldn't have done it.

[dawsongirl]

Like she was gonna let them faint. :rolleyes: A moving bus is NOT a locked, parked car, even with the windows up. There's enough room in there. What an extreme excuse.

[dawsongirl]

Yeah we never had A/C either, this must be pretty new lol....just open the windows for air or no air at all if it was cold out
The schools never had air either when I was there. And if there was no wind, it's not like it was exactly cool in the classroom. And we all lived....imagine that.

[Stuck In The '70's]

The schools never had air either when I was there. And if there was no wind, it's not like it was exactly cool in the classroom. And we all lived....imagine that.
Yea we never had a/c in our school except in the buildng where the principal's office was...imagine that. lol We usually were let out early though sometimes when it just got too hot.

[dawsongirl]

I loved early out days. :D

[Hollow]

it was wrong of her to use it as discipline, and i'd be upset if i were one of the parents. but i agree, she wasn't putting their lives at stake. there weren't any air conditioners on the buses i took as a child either, and this was here in arizona where it's usually about 100 degrees outside in the afternoons during this time of year. certainly no one died or fainted.

[Janice]

I see this differently. I think what she did speaks to her state of mind. Someone could have gotten hurt, a kid with asthma or another health issue. It had to be hot as hell there. You don't roast kids for punishment. She sounds like a cruel, sadistic piece of work.

[Brian Damage]

^^^I agree!


If and when you have kids, you'll understand that rolling up windows and turning off the AC is unacceptable.

[Brian Damage]

Oh please http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/images/smilies/ohno.gif

I have the worst allergies possibly and even I think that's a stupid excuse, it's not like she beat them to death.

You think it is a stupid excuse because you are sitting in an air conditioned house typing away on your computer. You are not a parent and you were not on that bus in TEXAS.

So I guess beating them to death is the only form of abuse in your eyes?

[Stuck In The '70's]

Oh please http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/images/smilies/ohno.gif

I have the worst allergies possibly and even I think that's a stupid excuse, it's not like she beat them to death.
Asthma is nothing like regular allergies. It is a disease. I know...I have it. I spent most of my junior high years in the ER every weekend. When it hits you...you need air...a lot of it. I remember having my head stuck out of the car wndow when my dad would take me to the hospital just so I can breathe. A few times I thought I was going to pass out. It can be deadly.

[Janice]

Oh please ohno:

I have the worst allergies possibly and even I think that's a stupid excuse, it's not like she beat them to death.
Love that tactic. Toss out something worse to make what she did look acceptable. She was hired to take kids to and from school, not to put them in harm's way. She was wrong, on every level. I'm glad the adults in charge agree, and did the right thing.

[Brian Damage]

Oh really? :lol:

Keep talking down to me, like I'm a little kid, "buddy." So what if I'm not a parent? Parents are the world, it's called being realistic and not a whimp.

No, a wimp is somebody who takes advantage of their power and mistreats little kids. A wimp is also someone who talks tough on a computer and can't possibly back it up.

[Brian Damage]

Love the crap you're talking about me smart mouth, keep it going like you're the king/queen. Not giving somebody air conditioning is not mistreatment. Beating somebody up or disrespecting them is mistreatment, not giving somebody a luxury when they have air outside, is not a form of mistreatment. Take them to school if you have such a problem with them not getting the luxury of A/C.


I take my kids to school. I feel a lot more comfortable knowing they'll get there safe. Just like these parents who thought that their children were not abused by a bus driver.

[Brian Damage]

Well that's fine- that's your opinion and what you feel comfortable doing. But saying I'm just talking tough on a computer and just sitting here all day typing, like I don't have a life is unnecessary, you don't know me at all. You have 40,000+ posts on this forum, so don't make it seem like I sit here on the computer all day, so I don't have an opinion when it comes to these topics. Just because you are a parent doesn't mean I can't or don't have an opinion, when I do.

You are entitled to your opinion, but your mouth is a bit.....harsh. You come off arrogant. (I may be wrong) This isn't the sports forum and I am not Solomon, so let's tone it down a notch.

[catlover79]

HORRIBLE!!! :mad:

[Schmoopie]

I agree, there are far worse things this bus driver could have done, but seriously, this is TEXAS we are talking about! There is no excuse for this type of behavior. It gets unbearably hot there-especially in August (Believe me, I know.. I was born in Austin and lived in Dallas until I was 28!), and she could have caused some health problems in those children. It's terrible!

And it makes no difference that those of us on this board are probably sitting in an "air conditioned" house (We don't even HAVE air conditioning in my house!). The point is that this was a ridiculous thing for this bus driver, who apparently "loves" children and "loves" to work to do. I think some sort of harsher discipline (like a short suspension) is in order here. There is no excuse for kids to come home flushed after getting on the bus. Any caring bus driver who knew it was that hot on the bus would make sure that the windows were down and there was air circulating!

Andrea

PS: Can I ask that we please focus on the subject at hand and not:nonono: :smash: :boxing::bash: each other? The main reason I love this board so much is because I hardly ever see continuous threads of:bash::bash::bash: .
:thanks:

[Brian Damage]

I think the point is, it was handled wrong. Instead of closing the windows and shutting off the air, she could've told a pricipal or a teacher about the problems she was having.

[Hollow]

Yeah but hypothetically, what is worst? Taking your kids money, not caring who they hang out with (could be druggies, negative people etc.) or not letting them have air conditioning for 15-25 mins. approx?
wow...i've generally agreed with you on this issue, but you're really hanging onto a logical fallacy. no one is saying that depriving children of an air conditioner is the worst form of abuse. you can keep bringing up these worst-case scenarios for the sake of distraction, but just because an issue is less important than another issue doesn't mean that it no longer matters.

[Stuck In The '70's]

The bus driver wouldn't allow the kids to have the windows down.
Yea and that's what I'm really mad about. You cannot deny students air like that. If any of them became sick she'd be in real trouble. We didn't have a/c's so I might not be as concerned with that although it goes to her character. She doesn't seem to have the character that should be in charge of a large group of kids. Kids get rowdy sometimes and not everyone on the bus was even guilty I bet. It was always loud on our bus and very rarely did the busdriver do anything. I remember a couple times he drove us back to the school but that was it. I do remember an incident with another bus where the driver let the students off and made them walk although they were nowhere near their home. That person was fired.

[Janice]

Wreckless, take your rotten attitude elsewhere. This is NOT the Sport's board, where you're on thin ice anyway.

This is your ONE AND FINAL WARNING. If you have a problem with this warning, take it up with TJ. Keep your drama off the boards.

[Lee]

PS: Can I ask that we please focus on the subject at hand and not:nonono: :smash: :boxing::bash: each other? The main reason I love this board so much is because I hardly ever see continuous threads of:bash::bash::bash: .
:thanks:

I absolutely agree. I don't think we need to go back to the old days before
the moderators came in and cleaned everything up.

[Lee]

Wreckless, take your rotten attitude elsewhere. This is NOT the Sport's board, where you're on thin ice anyway.

This is your ONE AND FINAL WARNING. If you have a problem with this warning, take it up with TJ. Keep your drama off the boards.

I agree with you completely, Janice.

[dawsongirl]

I'd like to know just how bad the kids were being. But that's a side of the story we'll never know.

I know some school bus drivers...they can write kids up and tell the principals until they are blue in the face; some kids don't give one crap about it and they do whatever the hell they feel like on the bus...I've heard the stories. And sometimes it's a safety hazard too.

[catlover79]

I'd like to know just how bad the kids were being. But that's a side of the story we'll never know.

I know some school bus drivers...they can write kids up and tell the principals until they are blue in the face; some kids don't give one crap about it and they do whatever the hell they feel like on the bus...I've heard the stories. And sometimes it's a safety hazard too.
You could not pay me enough money to be a bus driver!! Thank goodness I always lived within walking distance of my schools!!!

[HuntingtonM15]

I agree that it's a horrible thing that she did. You don't do that kind of thing to anyone, much less kids. I don't have massive allergy issues but my allergies are bad enough, and I wouldn't have dealt with that well.

[Janice]

Wreckless8228836, the kids were denied fresh air. All the windows were put up. So not only was the a/c turned off, but they weren't able to get any type of fresh air flowing from outside.
Perhaps that will make the person understand.

[Janice]

PS: Can I ask that we please focus on the subject at hand and not:nonono: :smash: :boxing::bash: each other? The main reason I love this board so much is because I hardly ever see continuous threads of:bash::bash::bash: .
:thanks:
Sorry Andrea. I've taken care of the matter. Some people just lose it when others disagree with them. That's when the trouble starts. Not on Chit Chat, not on my watch. No more, ever again. This isn't 2003.

[catlover79]

I agree that it's a horrible thing that she did. You don't do that kind of thing to anyone, much less kids. I don't have massive allergy issues but my allergies are bad enough, and I wouldn't have dealt with that well.
Same here...I for one would've been miserable!!!!

[dawsongirl]

I see that the article didn't say how old these kids were, or how long they were on the bus with no air. Leaving out important information is so the media these days. They love to chastize people without a fair trial.

[Janice]

I see that the article didn't say how old these kids were, or how long they were on the bus with no air. Leaving out important information is so the media these days. They love to chastize people without a fair trial.
Elementary school is usually kindergarten through the 5th grade, so ages 10 and under, maybe. I think it can go higher than the 5th, but not sure how much higher. I think the age and the distance are irrelevant because it's wrong under any circumstances. It's not proper discipline, and clearly against the rules.

If she just shut the AC off, that would be one thing, but not allowing air in, what was she thinking? Was she thinking, lol. If she can't handle her job, she should think about another profession. Not everyone can work with kids. I know I couldn't. My husband has eight grandkids. An afternoon of babysitting makes me want to jump out the window. I don't know how you do it, Cathy. It takes a mountain of patience.

[Hollow]

My attitude? That's hilarious since all I've been doing is posting my opinion on this topic- it's because I have a different opinion then you, just because I don't think kids should get A/C, doesn't mean you should get all defensive against me every post.
bye n00b :wave:

[dawsongirl]

If she just shut the AC off, that would be one thing, but not allowing air in, what was she thinking? Was she thinking, lol. If she can't handle her job, she should think about another profession. Not everyone can work with kids. I know I couldn't. My husband has eight grandkids. An afternoon of babysitting makes me want to jump out the window. I don't know how you do it, Cathy. It takes a mountain of patience.

They probably drove her to the edge.

[Hollow]

Elementary school is usually kindergarten through the 5th grade, so ages 10 and under, maybe. I think it can go higher than the 5th, but not sure how much higher. I think the age and the distance are irrelevant because it's wrong under any circumstances. It's not proper discipline, and clearly against the rules.

If she just shut the AC off, that would be one thing, but not allowing air in, what was she thinking? Was she thinking, lol. If she can't handle her job, she should think about another profession. Not everyone can work with kids. I know I couldn't. My husband has eight grandkids. An afternoon of babysitting makes me want to jump out the window. I don't know how you do it, Cathy. It takes a mountain of patience.
i know what you mean. i worked in a preschool as a lab for my childcare class in high school. with their short attention spans, it's nearly impossible to get children to be quiet when they need to. i never lost my patience or anything, but i sure felt like wringing their little necks sometimes. i can definitely understand the bus driver's frustration and even her temptation for discipline like that, but actually going through with a punishment that involves suffering physically is just awful.

[Janice]

They probably drove her to the edge.
I think they definitely drove her to the edge, which is precisely why she shouldn't be a bus driver for kids, or needs further training. She obviously can't handle it. I don't know many people that could. Kids are kids, especially at the end of the day. How she thought that making them uncomfortable would calm them down is beyond me. The heat makes people crazier. She belongs in a bank, an office, a Wal-mart, but not working near kids. She's not cut out for it, and there's no shame in that. There is shame in doing what she did. That's just my opinion.

[veggie-tari-jenn]

I think this is awful!! just awful!!....okay so I am 34 and when I took the bus ages ago we didnt have ac on the bus but the windows were always open unless the weather was bad....fine she didnt want to use the A/C but closing the windows went to far for me...I get agitated and do something when I see animals closed up in a car w/o the windows open..i would do the same for kids..I dont think she should be able to keep this job obviously it doesnt fit her very well.

[Lee]

:wave:

I thought you were banned

[Hollow]

:wave:
aww, now i'm emo again.

[Courtnee]

I never had an AC on the bus, and I turned out just fine. But she shouldn't have closed the windows.

[comedyfreak]

The schools never had air either when I was there. And if there was no wind, it's not like it was exactly cool in the classroom. And we all lived....imagine that.

Exactly!! Bunch of spoiled kids and their whiney parents.:rolleyes: