An upstate New York school bus driver has been fired after video allegedly shows him repeatedly slamming on the brakes and yelling at student riders during his route, reported KTTC News.

Sarah and Matt Martineau, whose three children attend schools in the Boquet Valley Central School District, said their daughter first told them in early March that the driver had been “brake-checking” students during a bus ride.

Video obtained by local news reporters from cameras inside and outside the bus appeared to support the children’s account. Speed data from the footage showed the bus slowing by nearly 10 mph during the brake-checking, or sudden braking incidents. Students were seen jolting forward in their seats, while exterior footage showed no vehicles immediately in front of the bus.

The Martineaus said their son later complained of neck pain after an incident. According to the parents, the boy stood up and moved into the aisle to sit near his sister when the driver allegedly brake-checked again.

“I had told her to have him go sit with her to make sure he was OK, and as he got up to go sit with her, the bus driver brake checked the bus again and then started screaming at him,” Sarah told local news reporters

School Bus Video Tells the Tale

The video also appeared to show the driver arguing with a student and suggesting the braking was related to students not following directions. “There’s no need for anyone to drive a vehicle of that size to brake check for any reason,” Matt Martineau said.

Matt Martineau reportedly said he contacted the district superintendent, who acknowledged there had been inappropriate yelling and braking but considered the braking justified.

After weeks without further action, the Martineaus raised their concerns during a school board meeting in late April. Five days later, the school board voted unanimously to fire the driver, identified as Jeremy Ward. District officials did not provide details about the dismissal. School officials declined immediate comments to reporters.

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School bus video cameras have become an important part of the school bus safety infrastructure. But as a part of proper usage, it’s crucial for student transportation leadership to understand the policies and procedures needed to ensure timely review of the footage.

A March 30 panel discussion, “Proper & Timely Review of Video Recorded Incidents,” at STN EXPO East in Charlotte-Concord, North Carolina will feature three student transportation professionals. Launi Harden, a consultant and former transportation director at Washington County School District in Utah, will moderate the session with Bernando Brown, director student transportation at DeKalb County School District in Georgia, and Teena Mitchell, special needs coordinator at Greenville County Schools in South Carolina and past National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) president.

During the session, Harden, Brown and Mitchell will look at the logistics of managing video footage for school bus fleets and detail the need for processes and policies to know what’s on the footage and respond to it. The panelists will discuss their own experience with school bus video cameras including best practices and the impact of the hardware and software on driver and student safety. They will also review the variety of considerations involved in creating school bus video camera review policies, from legal requirements to open records requests, impacts on IEPs to technology considerations.

Other topics to be discussed include reviewing footage to flag concerning behavior, the importance of consistent review for early detection of violent or sexual assaults, and communication with parents of video-related policies. Attendees will hear conversation on the proper storage of footage, archiving it for the right amount of time, how to create a documented process for allowing district employees to view the videos, and how these policies are in the best interest of district and transportation employees.

Attendees will leave the session with practical strategies to improve communication and collaboration across their district, with their larger community of students and families, law enforcement and contractors regarding this important facet of school bus safety.

Early Bird savings ends Feb. 13. Register for the conference by the deadline to save $100 on main conference registration. Registration will give access to this and dozens of other educational sessions, hands-on trainings and networking events including the Ride and Drive/Technology Demo, Trade Show and Thomas Built Buses tour, all held over the six-day conference. Register at stnexpo.com/east.

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