School bus driver pulls Taser as ride with students got ‘disruptive,’ SC district says
.jpg "A school bus driver pulled a Taser while students were on board, South Carolina officials say.")
A school bus driver pulled a Taser during a “disruptive” ride with students, South Carolina officials say.
The driver is out of a job after displaying the electrical weapon on Thursday afternoon, Spartanburg School District 7 told McClatchy News in an emailed statement.
Officials say the driver held the Taser “in the air while verbally reprimanding students in an effort to address what she determined to be a disruptive bus route.”
About 15 students were on the bus, but no one was hurt, the district says.
“We are disappointed that this driver’s decision to bring an unauthorized deterrent (in this case a taser) into the presence of students and on school property has created such a disruption for all involved,” the district wrote in its statement.
The weapon was a “small, pink flashlight” that had a Taser feature, according to the statement.
It was the first such incident for the driver, a veteran employee of the Spartanburg district, officials say.
“The driver was placed on administrative leave while the incident was investigated and is now no longer employed with our district,” according to Friday’s statement, which didn’t identify the former transportation worker.
The district says its “employees’ first priority is ... the safety of our students.”
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 2:39 PM with the headline "School bus driver pulls Taser as ride with students got ‘disruptive,’ SC district says."
