COPS: BUS DRIVER SOLD POT

Charges: Contributing To Delinquency Of A Minor, Selling Marijuana On
School Grounds

A school bus driver from Oak Lawn has been charged with
selling marijuana to an Orland Park teenager who was a passenger and
was enrolled in drug counseling at a special-needs school in Joliet,
Orland Park police said.

[name and address redacted], was arrested June 8 and
charged with selling marijuana on school grounds as well as
contributing to the delinquency of a minor for selling cigarettes to
the girl, police said. They said both charges are misdemeanors
because the marijuana was less than 2.5 grams.

[name redacted] drove a few students daily from Orland Park to the Hopewell
School for adolescents with emotional problems.

"We received a complaint on May 3, and after investigating, we found
that the driver was selling small amounts of marijuana to this
student," Orland Park police Cmdr. Chuck Doll said.

Police and Consolidated High School District 230 officials said
[name redacted] has been fired by Alpha School Bus Co., of Midlothian.
District 230 operates Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Sandburg
High School in Orland Park and Stagg High School in Palos Hills.

The girl's mother said she learned of the situation after her
daughter was caught with marijuana at the school.

"She was seeing a drug counselor for a previous drug problem, but she
was getting better," the woman said. "When she got caught at school
and was questioned, she didn't want to tell on her bus driver because
she thought they were friends."

The woman said her daughter admitted buying a "dime bag" of marijuana
from [name redacted] about once a week for a couple of months. The bags,
which cost $10 each, had skulls printed on them.

She said police questioned the other bus riders, but her daughter was
the only student who admitted buying marijuana.

"She knows she did the right thing and that she was manipulated by
this woman. And she wants to see her prosecuted," the woman said.

She said she wants the buses that carry students like her daughter to
have cameras installed.

"Either that or more than one adult on the bus at all times," she said.

Alpha representatives did not return calls for comment, and no phone
number for [name redacted] was listed. A check with the Cook County clerk's
office showed [name redacted] with no previous drug convictions.

District 230 spokesman Jim Sibley said the bus company does
background checks on its drivers and cooperated fully and quickly
once it learned of the situation.

"When we became aware of the situation, we immediately notified the
bus company and requested that this woman be removed from the route,"
Sibley said. "We also notified the police at that time."

Sibley said this is the first incident in District 230 of a bus
driver allegedly selling drugs to a student.

[name redacted] is scheduled to appear July 14 for a hearing at the county
courthouse in Bridgeview.

As for the teen, her mother said she has been "clean for 45 days now.
She's going to Narcotics Anonymous and is feeling much better. It's
just good to see her smile again."