Michigan dad James Yager discovered what could only be described as every parent's worst nightmare about the location of his 11- and 12-year-old daughters' new bus stop. While it is possible to be branded a sex offender for minor infractions, including urinating in public and flashing, Yager was livid when he learned the details of this specific sex offender's crime, "It was not only just a sex offender, it was a sex offender that had committed a crime against a 13- to 15-year-old."
Sex offenders can't live within a thousand yards of a school to protect children's safety. Yager points out the hypocrisy of the school assigning a bus stop directly in front of a sex offender's house. He says, "They’re sending these kids to a sex offender’s house to catch the bus. It doesn’t make any sense."
This does not make sense at all. In fact, it's disgusting that cross-checking a bus stop location with a local sex offender registry is just one more thing parents have to worry about when kids go back to school.
Once confronted, the school was quick to admit the error of their ways. Yager first contacted the school transportation department but did not receive any help. Soon enough, he was forced to contact the media, compelling the transportation department to release the following statement, "Most of our bus stops have been established for years. We add delete or change stops upon request and within reason."
In summary, the school is totally fine with moving a major stranger-danger bus stop, once a concerned parent brings it to their attention. What I'm getting from the school's statement is — of course, we're sorry, but not in the proactive sense. The school is sorry about this slipup that placed young children in direct danger, but they plan to do nothing about it by reinstating new policies to check bus stops in the future.
Parents, sad to say — but this is a situation of every man for himself. It would be great to think that schools cared enough to check whether or not bus stops were placed directly in front of sex offenders' homes, but that is not the case. Protect your kids by checking for yourself.
More on school
Was this young girl a victim of a brutal playground beating?
These over-the-top school lunches will give you serious mom guilt
Teacher suspends high-school student for using manners. No really. That happened.