In spite of the fact that former FBISD transportation supervisor Dann Long, dubbed the “bus barn bully” after assaulting a bus driver, is gone, that driver is saying Transportation Director Richard Torres and other district officials continue to retaliate against him.
Bus Driver Jack Richardson said since he filed the criminal assault complaint, Long and other transportation supervisors have engaged in systematic retaliation against him, and he believes they are trying to force him out of his job.
In spite of the pending assault charge, district officials allowed Long to remain in his position – including supervising Richardson – while the criminal charge was making its way through the judicial system.
It was during that time, Richardson said, the retaliation began.
“Until that time, I had an unblemished record as a bus driver. After that, I began getting written up for little issues on the bus,” Richardson said. “It didn’t take long for all those little things to begin to mount up. Nothing changed, I was the same driver I’d always been, it’s just that I wouldn’t look the other way (about the assault).”
Long was charged with “assault by contact” in JP Joel Clouser’s court last August. On Dec. 3, Long appeared before Clouser and agreed to a plea deal that placed him on deferred adjudication, a form of probation. The probation ended Feb. 25.
Long was also ordered to pay a fine.
Long left the district in February, only days before that probationary period was to expire. Details about Long’s abrupt departure were not released.
“Mr. Long is no longer employed with Fort Bend ISD,” FBISD Chief Communications Office Mary Ann Simpson said in an e-mail to FortBendNow.
Even following Long’s departure, the harassment has continued, Richardson said.
The minor infractions alleged by transportation supervisors ultimately led to Richardson being given a three-day suspension.
In response, Richardson, a Sugar Land resident, filed a grievance asking that the suspension be overturned and any negative documentation in his personnel records generated following the day he filed the criminal complaint be removed.
In his grievance, Richardson called the suspension “arbitrary and capricious.”
His grievance recently reached Level III in the district’s grievance process. The Level III hearing was conducted by the district’s Chief Auxiliary Services Officer Tom Carter.
Carter denied Richardson’s grievance.
In a letter to Richardson formally denying his appeal, Carter wrote:
“After reviewing the statements and documents presented during the grievance process and discussing the issue with Mr. Torres, director of transportation, my decision with respect to your requested remedies are as follows:
- Remove any negative documentation generated after the date of your criminal complaint against the Lake Olympia Transportation Operations Supervisor Dann Long. DENIED.
I concur with the Level II hearing decision. The documentation in your file pertains to performance and safety issues and is supported by visual evidence. It was not related to your criminal complaint.
- That you be reimbursed for three days of your suspension from your job on Nov. 7, 2008. DENIED.
Based on the documentation regarding your suspension and the associated visual evidence, the disciplinary suspension was warranted. It was not related to your criminal complaint.”
Richardson called the decision “a whitewash.” He said Carter only called Torres to give evidence during the hearing and simply relied on what Torres said.
Richardson also said the district is trying to shift the issue away from retaliation and instead paint him as a bad driver. He said that was particularly troubling to him because of his previously untarnished record.
“I’ve been very proud of my record,” Richardson said. “Now they’re trying to shift (the grievance) from harassment to safety violations on my part.”
Richardson said he was not giving up his appeal. He has filed to take it to Level IV.
Other drivers backed Richardson’s retaliation claims. They asked that their names not be used for fear Torres and other district officials would also retaliate against them.
“You’ve got to understand that Long was Torres’ pet. That’s why (Torres) pressured Jack to not follow through with the complaint; that’s why in spite of the criminal charge against him, Long was kept in his same job, supervising the man he assaulted, in violation of district policy,” one driver said. “That’s why all this stuff is allowed to go on in the transportation department. Torres tries to run it like his own little kingdom – rewarding his pets and punishing those he doesn’t like – and the district administration and school board can’t be bothered with us menial bus drivers.”
To back up his statement, the driver showed a section of the FBISD Transportation Handbook. It included a series of conduct issues categorized as “failure to observe the following rules will result in immediate termination.” The eighth item listed as conduct that will result in immediate termination is “Any attempt to injure another person.”
“Torres completely ignored these regulations, regulations that any of us would be fired on the spot for violating. He protected his buddy and (Superintendent Timothy) Jenny and the other big shots just sat back and let it happen,” the driver said.
Another driver said he suspects Richardson would continue to be targeted.
“They see him as a troublemaker just because he wouldn’t allow some lowlife thug assault him and look the other way. I think they’re just building a record against him to get rid of him,” the second driver said.
Another transportation employee said cases like this was why morale was “at rock bottom” in the transportation department.
“The school district continues to tell us what they think about us – we’re nothing to them. We’re not considered professionals and none of the administrators get big bonuses based on anything we do,” the employee said. “Why bother with us? We’re not important to them.”
The employee also wondered why the school board does not intervene or at least speak out.
“Last year when they wanted our support (trustees) Susan Hohnbaum and (Daniel) Menendez told us how important we were and how they would see that we weren’t treated like second-class citizens. Now where are they?” he said. “Once they got elected, we no longer exist. They just lied to get our support.”
FortBendNow made repeated attempts to obtain a comment from the school board. Messages were left for all members of the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees.
None responded to the request for comment.
Willie,
So correct you are. Once upon a time the majority of educators and those who worked in the field of education were trust worthy and honorable. Unfortunately, that is no longer true. Fake identities/assumed (aka) names; fake ID’s and certifications representing name changes; changed spelling of names; dropped first name to use only a middle name and changing the spelling in the process; fake degrees; and fake certifications; temporary certifications, probationary certifications have penetrated, even, the field of education.
Education was bought out by those who wanted in, but did not want to do the hard work that it took to be quality and qualified so they bought their way into the field of education, infiltrated the field of education with fake debris and chased off the “real” Educators of quality, credentials, and qualifications.
Is it not a wonder, things are as they are? No one “really” knows, exactly, who’s minding the children anymore. The quality caliber and quality character of an educator has been hijacked to no longer exist in most instances.
I agree that the status quo is the problem. The current set of board members are a set of rubber stamps for Dr. Jenney and his hoard of “administrators” to run wild. Look at his Director of Facilities Michael Johnson, who had his truck serviced with district personnel and materials and was not terminated for stealing. Is Dr. Jenney and his cohorts really any different than the CEO’s that have ruined the banks and auto makers in our great country?
The Status Quo IS the problem, Mary. We need to remove the status quo! Mr. Cain and Mr. Albright will be a FAARRR better choice on May 9th. My hope is that the public will get out there and represent themselves with this vote and not leave the election to the stronghold of rubber stampers and vendors.
Lord knows, my property values and way of life depend on my neighbors getting out there and representing themselves. Vote Cain and Albright.
Vote for Marilyn Glover and Sonal Bhuchar…you will be glad you did!
May be Mr.Cain and Mr.Albright can do something about this instead who is in change.
Different millenium, same story. Those in power covering themselves and lording over the masses goes back to the first social units built by man when our greatest acheivement was fire and using crude tools.
Ditto to your sentiments, Joe Murphy.
When there is a systemic disease, from head to toe, the symptoms look the same.