'He was crying’: Woman says school bus driver told grandson to get off at wrong stop

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A grandmother of a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools student is demanding answers from the district after what she called a traumatizing experience on the school bus.

Mildred Flora said a student getting off the bus slapped her 7-year-old grandson across the face on the way home from Olde Providence Elementary on Jan. 17.

According to her grandson, the bus driver told both children to get off, and for her grandson to confront the other student’s father.

Flora said her grandson was three bus stops away from home and made to walk the rest of the way.

Flora said she received a phone notification the bus was nearby, and when she went to pick him up, she was in utter shock.

“I’m waiting for him to get off and the last child got off, and my grandchild wasn’t there. And the bus driver shut the doors and started to drive off. And I said, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa,’ and I ran up to the doors and I said, ‘Wait a minute, where’s my grandson?’” Flora said.

She said her grandson walked more than a half a mile to her home, relying on his memory of the bus route.

“He was out of breath. He could hardly talk. He was crying, and he was scared to death. He has nightmares because of this,” she said.

Flora took her concerns to CMS. She said the district told her disciplinary action was taken but couldn’t explain further. That was more than a week ago, and she said she hasn’t heard anything since.

The district confirmed in a statement the incident is under investigation, and the driver has been suspended with pay.

“Suspended with pay? What were you thinking to let a 7-year-old get off the bus, confront an adult that he doesn’t know and then leave him there?” Flora asked.

The grandmother believes more should be done and this experience should be used as a learning opportunity.

VIDEO: CATS bus driving in middle of busy south Charlotte road VIDEO: CATS bus driving in middle of busy south Charlotte road

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