A Castle Rock school bus driver abandoned 40 elementary schoolers Monday evening at a random intersection miles away from their homes, parents and school district officials said.
Parents told 9NEWS that the driver, who they claim was a substitute for the route that day, forced their Clear Sky Elementary School students off the bus near a cemetery at East Wolfensberger Road and Auburn Drive.
Douglas County School District officials would not confirm if the driver was a substitute.
In a video posted by 9NEWS, students said the trouble started before they even left the parking lot. One girl said the bus driver refused to move until they all stopped talking, which caused them to leave the school later than they normally would.
Multiple parents also said their children reported the driver threatening them and using vulgar language, according to Fox31.
“We felt like when he was driving and missing our stops like we were getting kidnapped,” Caitlyn Zavadil, a 10-year-old student at Clear Sky, told 9NEWS.
The bus driver eventually stopped around 5 p.m. about two miles from the school, on the corner of Wolfensberger and Auburn, and forced all 40 kids out of the bus, students said.
Many of the children were miles from home and had no way to contact their parents as temperatures dropped.
While some parents arrived quickly at the intersection to rescue their kids, other students were picked up by strangers, desperate for a ride home, parents told both television stations.
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“We are in contact with the families of the 40 students who were dropped off (Monday) at a different area than their regular bus stop after school,” Douglas County School District officials said in an emailed statement. “This is incredibly concerning as the safety of our students is always our priority.”
School district officials said they’re working with the Castle Rock Police Department and the bus driver is currently on leave while they conduct an internal investigation. It’s not clear if criminal charges will be filed.
The Castle Rock Police Department declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
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