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Driver charged after special needs student left on bus

Published September 06. 2019 01:08PM

A Palmerton man faces a charge of reckless endangerment in connection with a special needs student who was left on a Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit bus Wednesday for four hours.

Rodger Sander, 75, told police he dropped students off at a school in Lehighton on Wednesday morning and yelled, “everyone off the bus,” before returning to his Harvard Avenue residence in Palmerton around 8:45 a.m., Palmerton officer Trevor Flexer wrote in an affidavit of probable cause filed at Magisterial District Judge William Kissner’s office.

Sander said he did not check the seats before leaving the school. When he returned to his bus around 12:30 p.m., a student in the back of the bus sat up and Sander called 911.

According to police, Sander said he did not see the student at drop off and “he must have been laying on the seat.”

While alone on the bus, the student defecated on himself.

The student, who police said could not speak, was awake and alert when emergency medical officials responded to the scene.

“The Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit is currently investigating all facts related to this very serious matter,” Dr. Elaine E. Eib, CLIU executive director, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Eib said the CLIU strongly emphasizes child safety and well-being in the education and transportation of all of its students.

“What occurred is a matter of the utmost concern to us and we will do everything possible to investigate how this occurred,” she said. “The Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit has procedures and protocols to ensure all students have vacated a vehicle before the driver leaving a vehicle unattended and to ensure student safety. Our comprehensive investigation will continue.”

The reckless endangerment charge is a second-degree misdemeanor. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 9 at 10:30 a.m. in front of Kissner.

Comments
Is this more of an age issue than criminal. I do not condone age discrimination and view this more as a wake up to age requirements or yearly mental assessments for drivers. You can require all the training but age issues are real as are significant events that challenge older individuals, or for that matter anyone. I would hope the DA approved this charge for oversight. I would hate to read grandparents being arrested for this charge. Shit happens as we enter into our later years. Thankfully this incident was resolved w/o serious injuries.
Agreed, this is a team effort, and the team totally failed this student.
It all starts with the board, their staff, their sub contractors, the sub's drivers. All are the board's subordinates, and all are the responsibility of the board. Neglect is neglect, and the board is ultimately the responsible party.

Sincerely,

Citizen David F. Bradley Sr.
Not sure we needed the drivers name placed out front, as if he had just robbed a bank.
75 years old... who thought this was a good idea? He shouldn't be driving himself around, let alone someone else's children. His employer is equally negligent.
True. Not defending the guy cuz he didnt check bus after run. But every 4 years we( I dont drive for iu) go thru 2 full days of training 3 hours driving take a road test n pass a dmv test before we get recertified. Every driver I mean every driver who has license should get retested. So take it for what its worth
Age-ism shows your ignorance.
There are many qualified licensed drivers well into their 90's. Everyone is an individual.

Dude or dude-ette, you need to reread you comment referencing driving at 75. Shame on you for making such an insensitive remark, makes me wonder what other prejudices you hold. You are welcome to have and openly express your opinion in America, and I am free to expose it as immoral, irrational and obtuse. Good for you, and have a nice day.

Sincerely,

Citizen David F. Bradley Sr.
This is not the first time something like this has happened at the IU21. Only if people knew how the IU is managed and how the children get treated by some they would be shocked. This goes way beyond their transportation dept., it's disturbing.
Maybe the State AG should look into this matter to find out if this is systemic across the IU's programs state wide or confined to IU21 only.
Maybe the FBI should look into why police officers can go on high speed chases with lives lost and also leave their hunting rifles in the woods and not suffer any consequences whatsoever or get a little slap on the wrist. Yet here we have a 75 year old man that made an honest mistake and we're going to charge him with reckless endangerment? Oh that's right...he don't have a badge! If the DA's office proceeds with the charges that should be everyone's clue to vote out Big Jean!
Where were the teachers or aid to ask if that student was absent or off the bus? Why wasn't that school on lock down for a missing student? Why didn't the school call the IU and the IU call the driver?
no, no no! You can't pin this on teschers! Their job is to teach. They're not substitute parents. Taking roll doesn't constitute a responsibility to locate every kid who isn't present! You're being unreasonable.
Actually, the point is a good one. All staff member need to "protect the students" and "save the community".

The accountability of every student is critical, it takes a team. Teachers are a critical part of that team. This failure needs a full review, and the risks mitigated.

Seventy five is young. This sounds more of a training issue. This is more of an idea of 'right hand clear' technique and attitude, to actively look for students as if they are incapacitated.

Hold him accountable, but if he is making ends meet at 75, giving back to a community as a bus driver we should also review the School tax system that makes home owners forever on the hook for mismanagement found on the school boards.


Sincerely,

Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.
Please review the term 'loco parentis'.

Teachers get paid enough to be professionals. Salary, benefits, nice hours, holidays, Summers off etc. The students need to be tracked and accounted for at every moment. Head counts, attendance etc. These are all in the PA School Code.

Please read it before you use the 'good ole boy' answer of teachers are perfect. Most are great, but like the bus driver, everyone needs to provide checks and balances since we are all human. It needs to be managed by putting checks and balances in the system.

The board has all the responsibility, the teacher, driver, IU, are all under the board of directors. The buck stops with the board.

Sincerely,

Citizen David F. Bradley Sr.
If the public only knew what gets covered up at the IU that the MSM doesn't report on. Why is this case getting so much coverage? This is not the first time a child has been forgotten on a bus and much worse. Kids left in padded rooms for hours the entire day, but the MSM is silent. People should know what happens at their adjustment facilities.
If the driver didn't call 911 this wouldn't be a story. If he called his supervisor first know one would even know.
Lets hold all the others accountable in the last two years that the MSM never covered before the Statute of Limitations run out. That would be some Juice!
The guy didnt check the bus like he is supposed to after his run it's not the teachers job to call his parents if absent. ( not defending the teachers cuz they have it made) the parent assumed their child was in school. The guy should be fired period. Age doesnt matter

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