A Palatine mom is demanding answers after her 6-year-old verbal autistic son told her he was placed on the wrong school bus and then yelled at by the driver.
Palatine resident Kelly Murray-Myrum said the incident happened Sept. 5, on first-grader Gianni Myrum’s first day at Lincoln Elementary School.
Kelly Murray-Myrum is seeking answers after her verbal autistic son Gianni said he was put on the wrong school bus and yelled at by the driver.
Courtesy of Kelly Murray-Myrum
She said Gianni was supposed to be dropped off after school at Learning Loft Daycare in Palatine, where she is assistant director. In addition to taking classes at Lincoln, Gianni, who is verbal and also has ADHD, receives therapy at Apex Pediatric Therapy Services in Palatine and attends Learning Loft Daycare.
Murray-Myrum said on that day, a bus picked up her son by the day care to take him to Lincoln.
“He was obviously super nervous, but he got on the bus,” she said. “Everything was good.”
On the way back, he was supposed to be dropped off at the day care. But when the bus arrived around 3:15 p.m., Gianni was not among the passengers.
A girl who got off the bus told Murray-Myrum that Gianni had boarded the wrong bus.
“I looked at the bus driver,” she said. “I was like, ‘Where’s my son? Where’s Gianni?’ So he called Gianni’s name, and he’s looking around.”
The driver said he did not have a list of passengers, just the stops and arrival times, Murray-Myrum said.
Murray-Myrum immediately called dispatch, who she said “yelled” at her and told her “this was all my fault.”
Palatine Community Consolidated School District 15 said it cannot comment on the specific incident, citing student confidentiality.
The day care’s director Tabatha Gwizdala, confirmed the bus did not drop Gianni off at the day care when it was supposed to and that he arrived late that day by perhaps 35 to 40 minutes.
When Gianni eventually arrived, he was scared and told his mom “the bus driver was yelling in my face.”
Murray-Myrum said she received an apology and assurances of better performance from the school the next day, but she still wants answers. She has engaged an attorney and is exploring legal options.
She said video of the interaction between Gianni and the bus driver backs up her son’s account.
“A bus driver should not be yelling at kids, especially one that is six years old and is autistic. I don’t want this to happen to any other child,” she said.
District officials acknowledged the beginning of the school year presents “logistical and scheduling issues” around student transportation.
“Our transportation staff work diligently with parents to immediately rectify these issues to ensure students are transported both safely and on time to maximize their instructional day,” a District 15 statement read.