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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (FOX 13) - In Pinellas County, more than two dozen kids were forced off their school bus and had to walk along a dangerous roadway to school – because their bus driver decided to call it a day.
Parents of students, grade six through twelve, at Lealman Innovation Academy are furious over the situation.
The bus driver forced the kids out near 28th Street N and 34th Ave N around 7:53 a.m. She then called 911 to say there were "safety concerns" with the bus. She told 911 operators she thought someone put chemicals on the bus.
In her call to 911, the driver also seems to point to some kind of conspiracy to get her fired.
“It’s a big problem out there. Somebody’s got a problem with me on that job, and I don’t know why – but for whatever reason, they want me off the job,” she says.
The kids, who had to walk 10 blocks to school, tell a different story. They say the driver was mad at them for misbehaving.
Either way – the school says the incident was unacceptable. The students walked 10 blocks to class.
“This incident is very concerning to us because our policies were not followed,” explained Pinellas Co. Schools spokeswoman Lisa Wolfe. “We always require a bus driver stay with their student regardless.”
The school says no chemicals were found on the bus, and they’ve placed the driver on leave while they investigate.
Police helped the school locate all of the students.