Corbin bus driver sued for leaving child on bus

A local father is suing a Corbin School System bus driver claiming his son sustained "permanent injuries" when he was accidentally left on a school bus last September.

Jerry Smith filed the complaint June 22 in Whitley Circuit court on behalf of his son, Travis Conner. He accuses Corbin School System bus driver Roy Johnson of being "negligent" for accidentally leaving Conner on the bus at the end of his route on Sept. 9, 2010. Conner was found in the parking lot of Corbin Primary School by Principal Travis Wilder. The child was taken inside and given a snack and something to drink while his parents were notified.

According to the lawsuit, Conner was a student at Corbin Elementary School at the time.

In the wake of the incident, Corbin Schools Superintendent Ed McNeel suspended Johnson for five days with pay, and issued him a written reprimand.

In the letter of reprimand, McNeel noted that Johnson’s record indicated it was his first infraction of any kind as a driver. In addition, McNeel advised Johnson that any future issues that result in disciplinary action might result in suspension without pay or termination.

"I took into account the driver’s past record and remorsefulness," McNeel said.

According to school officials, the child was on the bus going home after leaving Corbin Primary School on the afternoon of Sept. 9. The child fell asleep on the bus and the driver was unaware the child was still on the bus when he parked the bus at the school after completing the route.

Though bus drivers are required to check their buses at the end of the run to ensure no children remain on the bus, similar incidents have happened on three occasions during McNeel’s tenure. In response, the school system purchased and installed alarms in all busses that transport K-2 students that would require drivers to physically walk to the back of the bus to turn them off.

The incident sparked some other changes as well.

In addition, officials said other policies were put in place.

Those policies include:

· Require bus monitors to complete a bus walk-through when the last student is dropped off.

· Require bus monitors to complete a 2nd bus walk-through at the end of the bus route.

· Inform all bus operators that at the end of every bus route, the bus operator is mandated to inspect the total bus prior to leaving the bus.

· Utilize a student check on/off list for bus routes.

· Focus in on-going training of bus operators the importance for the safety of every child.

The lawsuit claims Conner received "multiple serious injuries" as a result of the incident.

It was filed on behalf of Smith and his son by Barbourville attorney Samuel G. Davies.

The Corbin Independent School System was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

No official response has yet been filed.