School bus driver fired over incident

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By Gary Budzak

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An Olentangy Local Schools bus driver has been fired for using physical contact to discipline two students.

The firing occurred after the school board spent more than an hour in a closed session Thursday.

F. Marie Beverly-Coy, 61, was fired for an incident this spring during a bus run from Wyandot Run Elementary.

“We spent considerable time on that matter, and watched the video,” board President Kevin O’Brien said before the five-member board’s unanimous vote. “In my opinion, there’s no dispute of the facts.”

The board’s resolution outlined the grounds for the firing, saying “Beverly-Coy failed to establish control of students before beginning her bus run” on April 24. Continued student misbehavior caused her to pull off the road and make a hard stop, “which jostled students.”

The resolution said Beverly-Coy then smacked a student on the top of his hand and told him to sit down. She pushed another student’s leg twice to get it out of the aisle.

The district describes those actions as resorting “to physical violence and/or inappropriate physical contact to modify a student’s behavior” and is “wholly contrary to her responsibilities, duties and obligations as a bus driver.”

An investigative meeting took place April 30, where Beverly-Coy admitted making mistakes.

Gary Budzak may be reached at 740-413-0904 or on Twitter @GaryBudzak.

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