North Texas

Fired School Bus Drivers Respond to NBC 5 Investigation on Infractions

District supports discipline drivers oppose after NBC 5 Investigates report

Fired bus drivers said Friday they have received unfair discipline from managers with Dallas County Schools after NBC 5 Investigates uncovered video and records of hundreds of driving infractions.

The video clips showed buses crossing intersections after the signal was red. Buses also passed other buses' extended stop arms.

Dallas County Schools provides transportation service to 11 North Texas school districts, including the Dallas Independent School District.

The NBC 5 investigation uncovered records of more than 400 infractions over a period of two-and-a-half years but no record of discipline for drivers in that time.

After the NBC 5 Investigates inquiry, DCS said it disciplined 229 drivers and terminated 13. Two managers who were responsible for handling the past infractions were demoted but not fired.

DCS policy calls for driver suspensions in the first and second red light or stop-arm infraction and termination for a third.

Terminated driver Randall Lyles denied any infractions. The 11-year-veteran of Dallas County Schools said he never received prior notice of a first or second infraction before he was terminated Monday.

"You can't say you're terminating drivers according to policy when you're not adhering to the policy. I never knew anything," Lyles said.

The termination letter Lyles received from a supervisor lists two infraction dates from 2014 for stop-arm camera violations. Lyles said he knew all the buses have stop-arm cameras.

"Why would I pass a school bus in the school bus, knowing very well that the cameras are operational?" Lyles asked.

The notification letter includes no location or time of day for the alleged infractions.

"You don't have any kind of proof that this was the driver that was driving the bus because we have a lot of drivers that fill in," said drivers' union leader Linda Barrett.

She said many disciplined drivers have similar complaints about old accusations surfacing now.

"Notify them, that's number one. Have the bus number there on the paper. Put the time, put the street where this happened," she said.

Terminated driver Charlotte Sheets said her termination letter lists accusations from March and April 2016 and November 2015 without locations noted.

"I'm saying I didn't run a red light, but they're saying that I did," she said. "This is my seventh year. So I've never had a situation. Never an accident, never. And I really pride myself in coming in and doing the very best I know that I'm supposed to out there."

Sheets and Lyles said they are appealing their terminations and Barrett said other disciplined employees will also appeal.

Dallas County Schools officials declined an interview but representative Carey Marin provided a statement:

"Dallas County Schools remains steadfast in its decision to enforce its policy regarding red-light running and stop-arm violations. The drivers were terminated because they each had three or more of these serious traffic violations. Every driver knows the law and is well-aware that safety is our highest priority and responsibility. As with any similar employee action, there is an appeal process available for any driver to contest the termination."

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