|
|
"This type of behavior may even constitute a hazard to the safety of the bus passengers, specifically our children," Hamm said.
Michael Murphy, representative of Service Employees International Union (SIEU), which represents the bus drivers, told the board that he views this type of action as stalking and it's creating a poor work environment.
"A school board member is stalking bus drivers, pulling in front to make sure he is seen," Murphy said.
Murphy cited kidnapping of children near bus stops as one reason bus drivers are extremely concerned about being followed.
Neither Hamm nor Murphy mentioned the board member by name, but bus drivers confirmed that it's Mike Butler, who was elected in April 2009.
Butler's wife Becky was a former bus driver, but her contract was not renewed for this school year. Some of the bus drivers said Butler was involved in a vendetta against bus drivers because of his wife's former job.
Butler later told The Missourian that he had been looking into some drivers' hours. He said a parent and an employee of the district had called him asking him to investigate. He said he did not follow the buses, but did sit at bus stops and recorded times the buses arrived there.
"They (the callers) told me what to look for," Butler said. "I felt it was my duty and obligation to look into this. The people who called me were concerned about district money not being spent right. They were aware that I knew a lot of people in transportation."
School Superintendent Randy George defended the bus drivers' right to bring their complaints to the school board.
"I strongly believe it's important and imperative that the public be allowed to voice their interest or concerns to the board of education," George said. "The public comments portion of our agenda allows for this type of discussion each month in regular board meetings."
About 12 bus drivers appeared at the meeting and applauded loudly after Hamm and Murphy spoke.
The drivers later spoke with The Missourian, but were reluctant to give their names, saying they feared for their jobs. They also said they were more afraid of the tactics Butler was using to monitor their activities.
They said Butler has recruited other individuals to follow buses and appear at bus stops to wait until the bus arrives and take note in an obvious manner.
Butler denies that he has involved anyone else in his investigation. He said any other people observing the drivers were acting on their own and had nothing to do with him.
"They have their own questions, I guess," Butler said. "Some people are concerned."
Following the open meeting, the school board went into executive session with Pat Hamm, two SIEU shop stewards and Murphy.
Hamm, who is the senior bus driver and mother of transportation supervisor Scott Roper, said she has filed a formal grievance against Butler.
"That's why I was in the closed meeting," she said. "But I was not the first driver to file a grievance. There were two other grievances before mine."
Hamm said Butler had followed her bus on more than one occasion and raised questions about her recorded time at some stops, causing district officials to investigate.
She also said as the driver of a special education bus her time at stops varies greatly.
"I can be at one stop for 10 minutes, trying to get a student onto the bus," Hamm said. "I can also be on my way to a stop and get a call not to go to that stop on that morning."
Tim Richardson, school board president, said other board members could not dictate to Butler what he can do. Richardson said as an elected official Butler has some rights and privileges.
"The board has procedures," Richardson said. "But if one member decides not to follow those procedures there is nothing we can do."
He said the superintendent is responsible for managing the district and its employees. If board members have concerns about an employee, he said, they take their concerns to George who determines the correct response.
"We just set guidelines that we (the board) want to go by," Richardson said. "But as elected officials you're granted that privilege, you can make decision of your choosing."
"We do not micro-manage the district. That's Randy George's job," he added. "We're there as a body to oversee the district as a whole and set policy. The district superintendent works under us and everything goes through Mr. George."
Richardson, George and Roper said the school bus drivers' jobs are not in jeopardy as a result of Butler's activities or their appearance at the school board meeting.
"There's no way the bus drivers' jobs are in jeopardy," Richardson said. "One board member has one vote. I could never see the possibility of anyone's job being in jeopardy under the current makeup of the board."
Richardson went on to say that if Butler has specific information about a personnel matter, George will deal with the issue.
"He (Butler) is within his rights to sit and watch if bus drivers do their job," Richardson said. "I hope they would concentrate on their job and just view it as another citizen near the bus."
Police Chief Jim Brune said police have received two calls from school bus drivers about unusual activity at bus stops.
"Because of the incidents of children being kidnapped near school bus stops we take these calls very seriously," Brune said.
On the first call it was determined that nothing illegal had taken place and no action was taken.
"The officer could well have told the individual that it looked suspicious and made people nervous when a school bus was followed," Brune said. "He could also have said the call was a waste of an officer's time when he could make better use of his time."
On the second call to police, the bus driver reported the license number of the vehicle.
"That license was registered to someone outside out community," Brune said. "We are following up on that and want to talk to that person."
Butler said he has concluded his investigation into the drivers and turned his findings over to George, who is investigating what he (Butler) had found.
