An 11-year-old girl and several other students in Guntown, Mississippi were reportedly told to get off their school bus and walk three miles home along roads their parents call dangerous. James and Ann Lofton reported the incident to the Lee County School District, and Superintendent Coke Magee responded by suspending the driver for five days. The district is calling it a personnel issue and has not explained why the children were removed from the bus.
The Loftons also took their concerns to the Lee County Sheriff’s office, where Sheriff Jim Johnson said the evidence doesn’t support criminal charges. Frustrated by the silence, the family is now consulting a lawyer and considering legal action. “You put your children out to catch the bus, you expect them to be safe on the bus,” the family said, and James Lofton added a warning that he will take action “as in the court of law” if something happens to one of these kids.
For parents everywhere, including here on the Suncoast, the story raises familiar questions about trust and transparency. We wave our kids onto buses every morning assuming that ride is the safest leg of their day. When that trust breaks, families deserve real answers, not a five-day suspension and a one-line statement. So we want to hear from you: what would you want the school district to do if this happened to your child?
