District: Former Mason City Schools bus driver charged with endangering children

A former Mason City Schools bus driver is accused of endangering children while taking 31 students to school last spring, the district announced Tuesday.

In a letter emailed to parents, the district said the former bus driver was arrested Monday and charged with endangering children. The charge stems from the driver's alleged actions while transporting students to school May 30, the last day of the school year.

A fellow transportation department employee that day noticed that the driver smelled of alcohol and reported it, the letter says. The district then began an investigation, and the driver was removed from their route.

Ten Mason High School students and 21 Mason Early Childhood students were driven to school before the driver was taken off duty, according to the letter. The driver was immediately placed on leave and no longer works for the district.

District officials said they were unable to inform families sooner due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

In a statement, Superintendent Jonathan Cooper said officials are "deeply disturbed" by the former driver's actions, which were "completely unacceptable and do not reflect the values of Mason City Schools."

"The safety and well-being of each and every student in our care is our top priority. We are grateful for the men and women who safely transport our students to and from school each day, and are committed to enhancing our safety protocols to ensure that all our drivers meet the highest standards of safety and responsibility," Cooper said.

All families of the 31 children on the bus received an email from the superintendent and a phone call from the Warren County Child Advocacy Center on Tuesday.

Drivers currently undergo random drug and alcohol tests. According to the letter, the district is reviewing and strengthening its safety protocols in light of the incident.

The letter to parents does not include the former driver's name. The Enquirer is seeking additional information through Ohio's public records law.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: District: Former Mason City Schools bus driver charged with endangering children