VIDEO: Another fight on a JCPS bus as bus drivers' union president says students must face consequences

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- At least three times this week, parents of students in Jefferson County Public Schools have been worried about their kids' safety on school buses.

On Wednesday morning, a student on a JCPS bus was pepper sprayed. Then later that day, there was a separate incident, when a student and an adult were shot after a fight broke out on a bus. That same afternoon, on a separate bus, a physical fight broke out down in the aisle of the bus.

On Friday, John Stovall, the president of the JCPS bus union, Teamsters Local 783, said the violence begins before the kids even board the buses.

He said the drivers have noticed a pattern over the past few years.

"It's just a sad state of society right now," he said.

Wednesday after school, two JCPS students got into a fight on a bus with Atherton High School students on board. WDRB obtained video of the fight. The video appears to show students exchange words while the bus is moving. One of them stands up and another throws a punch. The fight continues across the middle aisle, leaving one student with a dark bruise on the forehead.

According to JCPS, the report filed by the bus driver said there were no injuries however the father told WDRB his daughter was hospitalized for her injuries from the fight.

"There's been talk about it, but you got, like, 700 buses -- 650 -- about 700," Stovall said. "So yeah, that's, you know, 600 or 700 additional people, you're gonna have to fill that. And you can have everybody in the world on there, [but] until the kids know there's gonna be consequences, it's not going to make a difference, because they're not going to be allowed to touch him. All we can do is give verbal commands, and kids -- like I said earlier -- are smart. Now if there are real consequences -- like they don't ride a bus for two weeks or they have to go to an alternative school or they get their driving privileges taken away, where they have to find somebody else to take them to school -- maybe that would work, but like right now, like I said you put everybody in the world on that bus, but it's not gonna make a difference, because kids know there's no consequence," Stovall said.

Also Wednesday afternoon, a fight on a different bus continued into the streets and turned into a shooting.

One JCPS student and one adult were shot. Police have not identified them.

JCPS disagrees with LMPD’s initial statement and says video from the bus does not show an altercation on Wednesday. The district also says 24th and Magazine, where the shooting occurred, is not a JCPS bus stop.

Stovall admits the district's hands are tied when it comes to what happens outside of school hours and away from school property.

"People want to act crazy," he said. "They're gonna have crazy. You can't stop that. But it's unfortunate to have to do it with kids and it's unfortunate that you had to settle a difference with a gun. You know, talk, do what you got to do, but there's no need for a gun with that many kids around."

Wednesday morning before school two adults got on a JCPS bus and a student pepper-sprayed another student.

Stovall said those responsible need to be held accountable.

"Hopefully the district will make them pay the consequences for doing that because you don't know what's going to happen when they get on that bus," he said. "It's just, you know, it's uncalled for," Stovall said.

Stovall said all of these problems add to the growing concerns about bus safety for thousands of students.

"It's progressively gotten worse over the years," he said. "The district has to be willing to take that extra step and punish the kids."

Until that happens, Stovall said the bad behavior outside of the school will continue to spill over onto the bus.

"It's got to the point now the kids feel like they're untouchable," he said. "They're not stupid. They know what they can get away with."

Stovall said the best solution is for parents to report their concerns to the bus compound and to the school district.

Many JCPS parents also say they aren't happy with the district's busing system. They are concerned about buses picking up kids from different schools and grades.

WDRB has received dozens of emails since the start of the school year about elementary schoolers riding the school bus with middle and high schoolers. They feel as though it is a safety hazard to the youngest JCPS students and shouldn't be allowed.

Stovall says multiple grades and schools having been riding together for years. He says in an ideal world each school would have their own designated bus and some do in the mornings, but not in the afternoon.

However, Stovall says the bus driver shortage prevents them from changing the situation.

"So, unless you just only picked up elementary kids or middle kids, middle school kids, or high school kids... but then you're passing two, three, four different schools to do that," Stovall said. "They don't have the drivers to do that."

Stovall adds they try to make accommodations for families.

Stovall says the best solution is for parents to report their concerns to the bus compound and to the school district.

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