KC school bus driver used racist language in front of children

The principal of a Kansas City middle school in the Park Hill School District informed families this week of a video-captured incident that shows a bus driver using “racist and inappropriate language” in front of children.

Chris Early, principal of Congress Middle School, told the community in a letter obtained by The Star on Tuesday that the incident happened on the school bus on Monday afternoon. He said school administrators were notified after videos of the meeting were shared by the families of the children who attended.

“In the video the families shared with us, the bus driver used racist and inappropriate language when responding to a student who used similar language,” the principal wrote in the letter, adding that the company that manages the district bus drivers were also informed of what happened.

Early said the district was following its policies regarding the discipline of the student who also allegedly used racist language. He also said the district told the bus company, First Student, that “we no longer want this driver to work on routes for the Park Hill School District.”

Few details were immediately available Tuesday evening, including what exactly had been said on the bus. A spokeswoman for Park Hill did not immediately respond to The Star’s request for comment. The school bus company did not immediately respond to an email from The Star.

The college, located at 8150 N. Congress Ave., is part of the Park Hill School District, which has been at the center of a recent racist controversy after students at Park Hill South High School launched an online petition calling to slavery. be reinstated. The outcry over the petition ultimately led to the expulsion of one student and 180-day suspensions for three others; parents of punished students sue the school district.

In response to the incident on the school bus this week, Early said the district was deploying a “culturally appropriate crisis team” to provide support to affected students and staff. A staff member will also be on the bus over the next few weeks to provide additional supervision and support.

In the letter, Early thanked the families who shared the video “so we can respond appropriately to make sure our buses are safe for all of our students.”

Aarón Torres of the Star contributed to this reporting.

This story was originally published 7 December 2021 10:37 pm.