PHILIPSBURG: --- Minister of Justice Lyndon Lewis sounded the alarm on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing when he announced that school bus drivers have been sexually harassing students who use their buses to go to and from school.
He cautioned that an investigation is underway, and those drivers who opted to violate the students will face the full measure of the law. Lewis said that one driver even drove a student into an alley.
The Minister issued a warning to all school bus drivers, reminding them that their primary responsibility is to ensure the safety and security of all students who use the school buses. He cautioned that predatory conduct will not be tolerated. Lewis said he is getting too many reports of sexual harassment directed towards students by school bus drivers. He said that such behaviors are utterly unacceptable.
The Minister of Justice said that within the past three weeks, he received three complaints, with indications that more may exist. He said that the reports detail verbal harassment, which in one case is alarming. Lewis cautioned that these kinds of behavior will result in severe consequences, including prosecution.
The Minister said he would call for an urgent meeting with school bus transportation operators and the ministry officials this Saturday to discuss the matter further.
Those drivers and operators stand to lose their contracts while facing prosecution.
