Bixby police arrested a school bus aide after a driver reported possible inappropriate conduct involving a student on a district bus.
The incident occurred Wednesday, Oct. 21, on a Bixby Public Schools bus, according to KTUL. A bus driver reported concerns about the aide's behavior to school administrators. The district then contacted the Bixby Police Department, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
The aide was fired. The specific nature of the alleged incident has not been disclosed.
News On 6 identified the aide as Juan Mendoza, 76, and reported that officers arrested him on an allegation of lewd molestation. Police initially withheld names, citing the ongoing investigation and the privacy of a juvenile. Details of the alleged conduct have not been released.
Bixby Police Officer Levi Ethridge said in a statement, as reported by News On 6, that police received a report from school administrators on Oct. 21 regarding an incident on a district bus. After an investigation, an arrest was made. Ethridge said no names would be released due to the ongoing case and to protect the privacy of a juvenile.
Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Lydia Wilson confirmed the district terminated the aide and is cooperating with law enforcement, according to News On 6. Wilson said the district notified police, DHS and the State Department of Education immediately after receiving the bus driver's report.
Wilson praised the bus driver for coming forward.
"We appreciate the bus driver's attentiveness and willingness to report their concerns through the appropriate channels," Wilson said, according to News On 6.
Wilson added that reporting potential safety concerns is a responsibility shared by all district employees.
The Bixby Police Department said the district is fully cooperating with the investigation, according to News On 6.
Anyone with information about the case can contact the Bixby Police Department.
