Edmonton school bus driver fired; lack of background investigation by Canadian bus company alleged

By Glenn Kauth,
Sun Media

A city bus company didn't get a criminal background investigation on a driver facing allegations of "inappropriately touching" a kindergarten student, a Catholic school board spokesman said yesterday.

The driver has now lost her job, but that hasn't stopped school officials from sending the bus company, R.L. Smith Transportation, a "strongly worded letter" about the breach of its contract with the board.

"We're very, very concerned that this is a serious breach and that the safety of our kids is always a priority," said board spokesman Lori Nagy.

Gordie Mayes, the owner of R.L. Smith, declined to comment yesterday.

But Nagy said the board learned the company hadn't done the criminal background investigation or a child welfare check, after it began its investigation into the allegations.

On Wednesday, Mayes told Sun Media that R.L. Smith runs background investigations on all of its drivers before they come on staff.

The driver, now under investigation, had been working for the company since February, Nagy confirmed.

The case first came to light Wednesday, after a parent of the six-year-old girl at St. Angela Elementary School in northwest Edmonton came forward with allegations against the driver, who ran a noon-hour kindergarten route.

Officials have said little about exactly what happened, but Nagy said she doesn't believe the touching was sexual.

Police are also investigating the case.

Since learning R.L. Smith hadn't done the background investigations, the board has changed its requirements of the company.

In particular, R.L. Smith must now give the board proof it has complied with its contract terms - which state that new drivers have to undergo background investigations before they start work - every month.

"The newest piece is that we have verification those checks have been done," said Nagy, who noted that under the previous rules, R.L. Smith only had to submit the information at the beginning of the school year.

"They're the only company that we will be doing this with, but we will be looking into whether to expand that to the other carriers," Nagy added.

Posted by Tyra Hearns of www.PebiServices.com