Chesterfield parent says protections were not in place for bus rides for her son with autism

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A Chesterfield County parent is accusing the school district's transportation team of betraying her trust and putting her son with autism in harm's way.

Alexis Williams said her 6-year-old son Elijah was allowed to get off the bus at the wrong stop twice within the first week of school, and was found wandering a different neighborhood.

Williams said the first incident happened on Aug. 18, the first day of school. Williams' older son was waiting for Elijah at the bus stop while Williams was traveling.

"He never got off the bus," Williams said. "So [Elijah's brother] was like, 'hey, where's my brother?' And the bus driver was like, I don't know."

Williams said she was getting off of a plane when she learned her son had been picked up by two strangers who helped him get back home.

Williams said after this she called the CCPS transportation department and was assured Elijah wouldn't be allowed off on the wrong stop again.

"By Thursday, it happened again," Williams said. This time, she was there to pick Elijah up from the stop.

"As soon as the bus pulled up, all the kids were yelling out the window like, 'he got off at the wrong stop!'" Williams said.

It was the same stop as the incident before, and Williams said this is a stop many kids get off on, and she believes Elijah got confused and followed them.

"I pulled up to the neighborhood, I see my baby wandering on the side of the road," Williams said. "He was a couple of steps from walking out into the main highway."

Williams said this time she drove to his school to confront officials in person she said she was contacted by a transportation official who said Elijah would need an IEP to ride the bus safely -- a document that would give the driver guidance on a students' needs.

Williams said this is Elijah's first time attending public school, and getting an IEP sometimes takes months. She added that she was not told he would need one for the bus until after the two incidents.

8News reached out to CCPS on Friday, August 22nd to confirm and find out more about Williams' concerns. A representative wrote, "The school division is and remains in direct contact with the family."

Chesterfield's district website says every student should have an express or RFID card that would, "add an extra level of safety for the youngest students as they board and disembark school buses," according to the page.

It continues by stating, "Students place the card against a sensor as they board and disembark. The tablet will make a happy sound if the student is boarding or disembarking at the correct locations."

Williams said Elijah never got a card, and none of the children at his stop appear to scan when getting off the bus.

"You're trusting your kids with these people," Williams said. "And you're trusting that in place of you, they're making the best decisions for your child."

Williams said after 8News began asking questions about the incidents, the transportation department and his school reached out with a plan to ensure Elijah's safety.

That plan included a lanyard that says what stop he needs to get off on, highlighting to the bus driver that he shouldn't be allowed off at another stop.

Williams said with these things in place, Elijah made it home safely.