A mother from Oklahoma is urging parents to remain vigilant after discovering a disturbing note in her son’s school bag.
The concerned mum, who has not been named, was made aware of the handwritten note when her seventh grade son came home from Cheyenne Middle School in Edmond on Friday, February 7.
It had allegedly been written by the school bus driver, who also works as a test monitor.
Hear the mum talk about the note below:
The mother shared the note with KFOR News, revealing how the driver had wanted to talk to her son about spending time together.
It read:
I’m writing this note to you because as you know when school is out, there’s really no time to talk, just a quick hug.
For some time I’ve been wanting to talk to you about spending time together with you and I .. and maybe with some other friends of yours? What do you think?
The note went on to say the driver ‘really want[ed] to be friends’ and hang out together once in a while to ‘talk, play, etc’. He added that even though he’s a grown up, he likes to be friends with kids.
The note ended:
Tell me what you think. No pressure though. Love [Name].
The young boy is said to have had a ‘total meltdown’ on the day he came home with the note.
Alarm bells began ringing for the mother earlier in the school year when she learned the bus driver had asked her son for a hug, though she admitted she never thought things would escalate to this level.
Expressing her concerns to KFOR News, she said:
He wants to be chummy with my kid. He wants to do things that are unthinkable with my kid.
After finding the note, the mum called her son’s school to inform them of the situation. Two days later, the driver was taken off the bus route.
She added:
I don’t want it to escalate to where another child… nothing’s done until something’s done that is more irreversible than getting a note. I am very worried that he’s going to go to other school districts.
The mother also informed police about the note.
The school district has confirmed the driver is no longer employed, and admitted that while he did not break the law, his actions were inappropriate.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 8am–10pm Monday to Friday, 9am–6pm weekends. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111.
Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.