Hearing scheduled for suspect charged with school bus disturbance
A Wind Ridge man is awaiting a preliminary hearing after being charged following allegations that he caused a disturbance on a West Greene school bus with children inside earlier this month.
Michael Lawrence Pettit, 28, is charged with unauthorized school bus entry, a misdemeanor, and two summary offenses after an alleged incident Nov. 2.
Bus 12 stopped on Route 21 in Richhill Township at 7:10 a.m. to pick up students when he allegedly began shouting at the school bus driver, Nellie Cooke, using profanity, police said.
He allegedly continued to shout after she told him children were inside, and entered the bus, according to court paperwork.
Pettit allegedly grabbed a backpack from the first row and threw it down the aisle, according to state police.
Cooke tried to close the bus doors, but Pettit allegedly held them open. She tried to pull away and he slammed the doors shut, causing them to jam, court paperwork indicates.
Children on the bus were upset and crying, police said.
“Obviously, that’s a practice that will not be tolerated,” said West Greene School District Superintendent Brian Jackson.
He said Pettit was a parent of children on the bus and thought his kids were being treated unfairly by the driver, which Jackson said officials found to be false. The school conducted an internal investigation.
Jackson said the driver handled the situation well.
He said he wants parents to understand it is illegal to board a school bus without prior authorization.
According to court records, a summons was issued on Nov. 17; a preliminary arraignment for the charges has been scheduled for Jan. 18 and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 25, both at Magisterial District Court 13-3-01.