Pender County Schools publicly releases dismissal letter to fired bus driver
BURGAW, NC (WWAY) — Pender County Schools has publicly released its dismissal letter to a bus driver that was recently fired.
Melvin London, a bus driver and athletic coach for more than a decade, said he was fired from Pender County Schools on Wednesday.
In the dismissal letter signed by Superintendent Brad Breedlove, the school district says, “You have failed to drive your assigned bus route using the bus assigned to that route. As such, you cannot carry out the essential functions of your job, which include driving a school bus.”
London says the district told him he would no longer be driving the bus he’s driven for three years.
Instead, he was assigned an older bus that he claims has frequent mechanical problems.
London tried negotiating with the district, but said they refused. When he declined to switch buses he said the district fired him.
“I never wanted to leave,” London said. “That’s the thing, I never wanted to leave and I never said I wouldn’t drive. I said I wasn’t driving 251. Never said I wouldn’t drive and all I wanted was my bus back and they would never give me a reason, concrete reason as to why.”
The letter states: During the conversation you also stated to me “as a new driver I had to drive the older buses and now I should not have to”. You wanted bus #286 back. During both the conversation with (Transportation Director Britton) Overton and the conversation with me, you were asked to drive the assigned bus (# 251) and that, in the future, we would work to do a bus reassignment which may allow you to switch buses. This was not acceptable to you. At the end of our conversation I stated “Mr. London, I need you to drive bus 251”. You responded “no, I’m not going to do it.
According to the letter Pender County Schools policy states: The superintendent may assign school personnel in any manner that he or she deems appropriate, consistent with legal requirements.” It also states, in part, “The interests and aspirations of employees will be considered in making assignments and transfer decisions; however, such interests must be weighed against what is in the best interest of the students, school or school system”.
The firing comes as the district is facing at least nine bus driver vacancies, and extensive route delays.
Within hours the community rallied and started a petition to get London rehired.
