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	Ex-cisd Bus Driver Claims He Was Fired for Whistle Blowing By Kassia Micek Your Conroe News June 29, 2011 http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/article_6411db61-b94f-57d0-a370-8167ae0a85ab.html A former Conroe ISD bus driver is continuing his fight against what he calls neglect within the Conroe ISD Transportation Department despite losing his appeal to the CISD Board of Trustees last week. The CISD school board upheld the Level I and Level II hearing officer’s decision at its June 21 meeting and denied the relief sought by Christopher Terry, who worked as a CISD bus driver from November 2010 until March. Terry was seeking reinstatement to his position and compensation for lost wages after he claims he was unjustly fired for “whistle blowing” about a monitor who neglected special needs students while on duty. “The real issue is neglect of special needs children by monitors who sleep on the job and that still continues,” Terry said. “The monitor that was doing it is still doing it. … It’s widespread. “If you say anything about it as a bus driver, what happened to me will happen to them.” Terry said he was fired March 1 for “whistle blowing” that a monitor on his bus slept and talked on his/her personal cell phone while on duty, ignoring students, Terry said. According to CISD documents provided by Terry, he was let go from his position March 1 for violating CISD board policy regarding study records and employee standards of conduct. Terry denies violating district policy. In an oral report, Terry told his supervisor that the monitor on his bus slept and talked on the phone, but never filed a formal complaint, according to an e-mail from CISD Communications Director Kathy Clark. “Although the complaint was not substantiated, the monitor was reminded about the importance of remaining alert and of using her cell phone only in emergencies,” Clark stated. Punishment for such claims is progressive in nature, Clark stated. “The type of discipline would depend on the employee’s previous disciplinary history and the severity of the misconduct,” Clark stated. “Discipline options could range from a verbal reprimand to termination.” By its action of allowing such neglect and punishing the messenger, Terry said, CISD is protecting neglectful employees. “They tried to make me the issue. I’m not the issue,” Terry said. “It was nothing but a personal attack on me and them trying to demoralize me. “They made it all about me. They never once did their due diligence.” Terry, a Catholic priest, related the problem to the cover up of sexual assaults by priests within the Catholic Church. “It’s been discovered the Catholic Church … has a policy … which was used to tell bishops that they were not to turn credible allegations of abuse in to the police,” Terry said. It’s a common problem for bus monitors to sleep on duty, ignore students and talk on their cell phone, Terry said. “As a bus driver, you have absolute responsibility for anything that happens on the bus,” Terry said about why he reported the alleged neglect. “I don’t have eyes on the back of my head so I can watch the situation. … “The state sees it that a monitor be on the bus to watch over these kids because they can’t watch over themselves. … The bus driver has to keep their eyes on the road.” The monitor was able to get assigned to a bus without a video camera due to connections within the department so his/her actions were not recorded, Terry alleged. Not all CISD buses have working cameras as there are 490 buses and 368 working cameras, Clark stated. “The district purchases cameras for buses as its budget will allow,” Clark stated. “Cameras frequently break and there may not be a camera available to replace it. “When a camera becomes available, Transportation Department staff determines which bus will receive the camera based on safety concerns, student discipline issues or at the request of the school administration. Whether or not a camera can be installed in a bus will depend on the year model and make of the bus.” During the 2010-11 school year, CISD received 12 transportation-related complaints through the district’s formal complaint process, but none alleged neglect of duties by any transportation employees, Clark stated. Information on informal complaints of neglect by parents or co-workers against transportation employees would require extensive research and such information was immediately unavailable, Clark stated. “Reports of misconduct can be made in person, via e-mail, by telephone, in writing, by EthicsPoint, the district’s anonymous complaint system, and through the district’s formal complaint policy,” Clark stated.
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