A sheriff’s office in North Carolina is warning parents they could be charged with a misdemeanor if they force their way onto school buses.
So far in 2023, at least four parents in the Cumberland County school district of Fayetteville, North Carolina, have attempted to confront bus drivers over issues their children are having on the bus, WRAL reported Monday. School officials and local authorities are trying to get the word out that any parent causing disruption on a school bus could face charges against them.
“Getting on a school bus is considered trespassing. It’s also a class one misdemeanor that a person can be charged with,” Sgt. Mickey Locklear, a spokesperson for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said, according to the outlet. “It’s recently started coming up more or more frequently like a lot more parents are getting on the bus.”
School buses drive from the campus of East Brunswick High School after the school day on February 22, 2018, in East Brunswick, New Jersey. / AFP PHOTO / DOMINICK REUTER / TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Catherine TRIOMPHE (Photo credit should read DOMINICK REUTER/AFP via Getty Images)
The outlet reported that many parents have expressed concern about their children facing bullying and other confrontations between students while riding to school. Locklear and school officials say confronting a bus driver is not the way to handle these issues. (RELATED: Parents Sue Fourth Grader, Principal And School District Over Son’s Bullying)
“Stay off the school bus,” Sgt. Mickey Locklear warned parents, according to the outlet. “If you have a problem with a bus, go to the school, talk to the principal, talk to the assistant principal. That’s the way you handle this – not out on side of the road.”
Cumberland County Schools Safety & Security Director George Hall told the outlet that parents entering buses interferes with drivers’ ability to get kids safely to and from school. “The biggest thing is, our bus drivers are trying to take care of our kids, and if somebody gets on a school bus, they can’t do that because now they’re have to pay attention to something else,” Hall said.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office added that parents should understand even misdemeanors include taking fingerprints and mugshots, a court date, and fines.