School bus driver on leave after threatening to shoot students in Utah, officials say

A school bus driver in Saratoga Springs, Utah, has been put on administrative leave after threatening to shoot students on the bus, officials said.

On Friday, Sept. 9, a bus driver from Alpine School District threatened to shoot students on the bus she was driving after growing frustrated by their questions, district officials said, according to USA Today.

In a video shared by KUTV on Twitter, children appear confused about where the bus driver was going, at which point she said, “one more person says, ‘Where are we going?’ I’m going to shoot them. OK, now listen, I missed the stop. I’m trying to turn around. Do you understand? Sit down and be quiet.”

An Alpine School District spokesperson said in a statement to KSL that the district is aware of the incident and that the driver in “on administrative leave pending an investigation.”

“We strongly condemn any threatening action or language directed toward others,” the spokesperson said, according to KSL. “We expect all employees to create safe and nurturing environments free of verbal or physical threats. Appropriate action will be taken to ensure this matter is addressed and not repeated.”

A Sept. 7 video shows another incident that happened on a school bus in the Tooele County School District in Utah where a bus driver was heard screaming at students after they told her she was going the wrong way, according to KSTU.

The TV station reported that the driver can be heard saying, “I know! OK? Shut up!” She continues and says, “I’m gonna turn around, OK? Shut up!”

A spokesperson for the district told KSTU that the driver was a substitute and has “since been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident.”

A parent from the Alpine School District reached out to their child’s school after finding out about the Sept. 9 incident, KUTV reported.

“I called the school and tried to get as much information from them as I could. Come to find out I wasn’t the only parent to call and contact them regarding this,” the parent told KUTV. “That’s why I put him on the bus, is to trust them and know my kid is safe, and now it doesn’t make me feel safe putting him on that bus anymore.”

A letter sent out to parents from the district’s director of transportation said that school officials “have initiated a full investigation of the incident and want you to know that your students will be safely transported to and from school Monday and beyond,” according to KSL.

The district did not release the driver’s identity or say whethershe is on paid or unpaid leave, according to USA Today.

Saratoga Springs is about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City.

This story was originally published September 13, 2022 at 12:11 PM with the headline "School bus driver on leave after threatening to shoot students in Utah, officials say."