Mason school bus driver accused of transporting students while intoxicated identified

A former Mason City Schools bus driver was charged Monday with endangering children , over three months after the alleged incident.

James Vance, 44, is the suspect, according to police and school district records obtained by The Enquirer.

In a letter emailed to parents Tuesday, the district said the charges stem 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. Ten Mason High School students and 21 Mason Early Childhood students were driven to school before the driver was taken off duty.

According to Vance's personnel file with Mason City Schools, he was placed on administrative leave on May 30. He no longer works for the district, officials said in the letter.

Vance had been working for Mason City Schools since May 2021, according to his personnel file. He initially signed on as a substitute bus driver.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mason school bus driver accused of transporting students while intoxicated identified