Former bus driver sues city school system
A former Calhoun City Schools bus driver with more than a decade on the job has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the school system after he claims he was let go for posting to social media about a broken air conditioning unit on the bus.
Calhoun Superintendent Michele Taylor acknowledged Thursday that she was aware of the suit filed by Charley “Chuck” Allen but said she cannot comment about ongoing legal matters or personnel issues.
“Upon the recommendation of our attorneys, the school system does not comment about ongoing litigation. We believe Calhoun City Schools acted appropriately and in the best interest of students,” Taylor wrote via email.
In a written statement provided to the Calhoun Times, Allen said that he noticed in early August 2019 that the air conditioner on his assigned bus was broken and that the interior of the bus was “reaching dangerously high temperatures.”
Allen claims he alerted his supervisors about the problem and took the vehicle to the city’s bus maintenance station. He said the broken air conditioner was not repaired and that on Aug. 13 “a city officials approved the bus be taken out on its normal route.”
That same day Allen placed a small thermometer in the bus and posted a picture on social media showing the temperature on the bus to be about 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Allen was terminated the following day.
In his written statement, Allen asserts that the school system is attempting to shift blame for its negligence regarding the broken air conditioner onto him.
“Under Georgia law, a city government cannot terminate an employee for disclosing a violation of law, rule or regulation. Utilizing a school bus with a broken air conditioning unit would constitute a violation of the State of Georgia School Bus Specifications,” Allen’s statement reads.
Allen is being represented by attorney Chris Rhodes in Dalton. Rhodes said they are seeking unspecified damages to be determined by the court.
A copy of the Georgia Department of Labor separation notice shared by Rhodes shows the reason for separation as, “the bus driver endangered the safety and well-being of students,” though details regarding that explanation are not included on the notice.
Rhodes said via email Thursday that he intends to file an amendment to the lawsuit alleging violations of Allen’s First Amendment right to free speech.