SSISD Administration: Bus Driver, Monitor Are No Longer With District Following Jan. 8 Incident
An incident on a school bus on Jan. 8 allegedly resulted in middle school students being injured by other students, and the bus driver and monitor are no longer in the employ of Sulphur Springs ISD, according to a release from the superintendent’s office Friday afternoon, Jan. 21, 2022.
“In addition to disciplinary measures taken in accordance with the SSISD Student Code of Conduct, several SSMS students face charges of injury to a child,” the release stated.
Sulphur Springs Middle School administrator and district police were notified Jan. 11, 2022, about the incident reported to have occurred on Jan. 8, 2022. Administrators and police began an investigation of the allegations and contacted middle school staff, parents and the students said to have been involved in the Jan. 8 bus incident, according to the new release.
District officials said while “the process of managing the situation is ongoing,” disciplinary measures are being implemented in accordance with the district Code of Conduct for students determined by the investigation to have caused injury to their peers. “Supportive measures” are being provided for all students involved, the superintendent’s office reports.
“The District has also determined that the two SSISD staff members who were driving/monitoring the bus
were negligent in the performance of their duty to maintain discipline and monitor their students.
These two staff members are no longer employed by the district,” the release states.
SSISD administrators are reported to be in continued communication with the students and families involved and impacted by the “staffing implications stemming from the incident.”
The release states that SSISD “is working to ensure that the opportunity for such an incident as this one can never happen again. We are committed to providing the safest environment possible for our kids.”
Character education anti-bullying programs implemented at every grade level are cited in the news release, as part of the district’s commitment to student safety and bullying prevention. SSISD’s Anonymous Alerts program, found as a link on the district website, is an anti-bullying, safety reporting system that gives students and community members the ability to anonymously report if they are aware of any member of the school community being bullied, hurt or mistreated. This is open to anyone, community, parents and families, not just students or employees.
