GREEN BAY (WTAQ-WLUK) – While on a field trip with elementary school students, a bus driver had a beer while the students were at the event, according to the Green Bay Area Public School District.
The incident happened Monday with a Lamers Bus driver and students from Lincoln Elementary School. The fourth- and fifth-grade students were on a trip to the state Capitol and Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, and the beer was noticed on the way home, according to the district.
The school district sent a note to parents Monday night, which said a student “noticed a can of open beer leaking under the bus driver’s seat.”
Teachers talked to the driver and could not smell alcohol, and did not witness any impaired driving. Police were called.
“The bus driver admitted to the police that he had consumed beer earlier in the day, while the students were engaged in their activities. We regret this situation occurred. We will be directing Lamers to no longer have the bus driver assigned to District routes,” the statement says.
Lamers released this statement:
On Monday, April 18, Lamers Bus Lines was alerted to an empty beer can on a charter trip carrying students from Madison, Wisconsin to Lincoln Elementary School in Green Bay. The Green Bay Area School District notified Lamers Bus Lines shortly before the trip returned to the school and said adults on the bus could not smell alcohol and did not witness any impaired driving.
Lamers office staff and the supervisor interacted with the driver, as they typically do, and did not observe any impairment before the driver departed on the trip.
Lamers Bus Lines had a supervisor meet the bus at Lincoln School along with the district safety and security coordinator, and the school principal, to evaluate the driver in accordance with DOT regulations. We were prepared to follow reasonable suspicion guidelines. While onsite the Green Bay Police Department assumed control of the scene and processed the driver according to their protocol.
Lamers will continue to be fully cooperative with the school district and the Green Bay Police Department, and are committed to a safe, drug and alcohol-free workplace. Lamers Bus Lines has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol, and the driver has been terminated, effective immediately.
School district officials declined further comment, referring all questions to Lamers.
Green Bay police have confirmed an arrest was made in the case, but the suspect did not appear in court Tuesday.
