GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Imagine dropping your young child off at the bus stop, then learning they made it to school hours later.
One Guilford County Schools mom said she wants the district to be held accountable.
Shiquilla Sanders said her 8-year-old Akeem Connally loves to ride the school bus to Falkener Elementary.
This week, during one of the coldest days we've had this winter, Connally was trapped on a bus for four hours.
Now, Sanders said her son is traumatized.
She told WFMY News 2 she walked her son to the bus stop early on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and watched him get on around 6:40 a.m.
Her son's school Falkener Elementary is about 10 minutes from her home.
The last thing she expected was a call from the school saying her son arrived at 11:30 in the morning.
"I went to go get my son from school. I was scared, and I wanted to see my baby and make sure that he was okay," Sanders said, "I asked him, how long was he looking before he saw somebody. He said, 'Mommy, I was crying. When I started crying, it was raining outside and when I stopped crying it stopped raining.'"
Sanders said GCS claimed her son fell asleep on the bus, and was found by another bus driver at a district bus hub.
State law requires school bus drivers to walk the aisle and check for passengers anytime a bus is parked.
Sanders doesn't believe that happened in this case.
"That day let me know that my child was not being protected," Sanders said, "The supervisor informed me that the bus driver has to do a manual click on the bus to let the system know that all the students are off the bus. I was told he did click to let the system know that it was clear, but my son was still on the bus.
Currently it is unclear what the next steps are for the bus driver involved.
GCS statement:
Guilford County Schools is investigating a matter in which a Falkener Elementary student was found on a school bus after the morning drop-off. The district is reinforcing transportation protocols with all drivers.
- Gabrielle Brown
Media Relations Specialist