WAS THERE a COVER UP?
School Director Wayne Honeycutt, Chairman Leroy Tate, Board member Scott Newman
By: Pat Hunter
Nov. 10, 2008
The Loudon County School Board is examining some of its policies and procedures including the transportation of students due to a recent school bus incidence involving the arrest of Vicky Kwasny. News coverage of the school bus incidence made national news when the AP newswire carried a story about a bus driver that passed out while driving a school bus of students. Before the bus driver passed out she managed to stop the bus and nobody was hurt. Some of the children described a frightening and harrowing ride.
School Board member (D-1 Loudon) Scott Newman couldn’t hold back any longer when he decided to tell all at the Nov. 5th Special Called meeting.
Scott Newman is a police officer with the Loudon City Police Dept. Newman asked to address the Board. He referred to the earlier comments of Dr. John Sanabria. Dr. Sanabria said that she was forth coming and she was on Soma. That violates this policy right here, as Newman pointed at the paper in front of him. Read it, that violates our policy, added Newman. This isn’t a witch hunt.
Newman continued, but if we are going to write policies, why have them? The way this whole matter was handled was wrong.
We sent a letter to the parents that said that the bus driver fell ill when we knew that law enforcement was on the scene and going to the Emergency Room.
We make statements to the press that they didn’t know that there was a charge and that’s not correct. And this thing makes it look like there’s a big cover up.
Whether you like it or not or whether it hurts someone’s feelings or whatever it is – it looks like someone is trying to cover something up. I’m not going to call anyone out but that’s what the perception is.
When you walk down the street or go out to Hardy’s or go to the Food City and you hear, why are you covering up the bus driver stuff and that’s exactly as it looks!
Nashville attorney Chuck Cagle mentioned that school personnel acted accordingly and school policy was not violated. But please don’t forget that Chuck Cagle is an attorney whose concern is to limit the school’s liability in case a lawsuit is filed.
Last November, there was another school bus incidence. It occurred when a bus driver stopped her bus on Loudon Ridge Rd., a narrow dangerous heavily trafficked road, and some of the students got out and walked home. Since none of the students were hurt, the bus driver was fired and that was the end of the story.
Should this matter be dropped when it looks likes certain school employees knew and didn't take appropriate action as Newman thinks?
Would you be willing to forget this matter if it was your child or kin on this school bus? What's to keep this from happening again, if this matter is swept under the rug?
School Board Email addresses:
School Board Chairman Leroy Tate: Leroy.Tate@TateandLyle.com
Larry Proaps: proapsl@loudoncounty.org
Bill Marcus: billm@loudoncounty.org
Scott Newman: slenewman@charter.net
Bobby Johnson, Jr.: johnsonb@loudoncounty.org
Steve Harrelson: harrelsons@loudoncounty.org
New School board members
Lisa Russell: LRussell917@aol.com
Van Shaver: SarahLCcom@aol.com
Gary Ubben: ubbeng@loudoncounty.org
Craig Simon: simonc@loudoncounty.org
11-10-08