School bus driver charged in homophobic attack on student

[ccharles000]

http://www.365gay.com/news/school-bus-driver-charged-in-homophobic-attack-on-student/

(Bourbonnais, Illinois) An elementary school bus driver has been charged with leading a homophobic attack on a 10-year old student passenger.

The Kankakee Sheriff’s Police Department said that the boy was taunted by the driver who then encouraged other students to chase and beat the child.

Chief Deputy Ken McCabe said the incident occurred on a Bourbonnais Elementary School District bus which was returning students to their homes last Friday.

McCabe said the driver repeatedly called the boy “gay.”

”When the boy got off the bus, the driver encouraged several other students to go after him and tackle him. Our investigation shows that occurred,” McCabe told The Daily Journal.

He also said the driver is under investigation for joining the students in chasing the boy and grabbing him.

Bourbonnais School District officials would only say the driver has been terminated.

[OhioChick]

1. Terminated?

Hell, charges should be filed.

[MUAD_DIB]

6. Terminated, indicted, incarcerated.

[ColbertWatcher]

12. How many of these kinds of people are hiding out there?

First off, give him a fair trial, but (hopefully a jury can convict him) ensure his punishment includes some kind of education.

[RubyDuby in GA]

2. Picking on a 10 year old.

WTF?!?!?!? What a pathetic sorry excuse for a human being!

[nomorenomore08]

3. An adult leading an attack on a young child just makes it all the more disturbing.

I've heard of cases where kids were encouraged by adult authority figures to bully their peers, but this goes way beyond that. God knows what anger (or other) issues this man must have, to be that cruel and malicious to a 10-year-old.

[Cronus Protagonist]

4. Poor little kid

Par for the course, unfortunately.

[DesertRat]

5. OMG

The parents should sue the district and/or the individual for encouraging an attack on their child.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. For sure!

[DiverDave]

7. The guy would have the wrath of a DAD

come down on his sorry ass if that was my son.
Come to think of it, I'll do it anyway.
Just a grown up bully, I'll bet a double sawski that he was a bully when he was a kid.

Lord help the asswipe that even TALKS about it with one of my sons.

Damn, this just makes my blood boil:mad:

[ReadTomPaine]

8. The freaks are getting bolder

[Lex]

10. A kid only has to be perceived as "gay" for it to be a gay bashing--

and that's why tolerance should be important for ALL parents to embrace.

[lpbk2713]

11. That school district now needs to dig deep into its pocketbook.

They ought to provide counselling for the victim as well as the other kids on the bus.

Plus if I were the boy's parent they would be providing alternate transportation for as

long as he lives in that school district. There wouldn't be any need in trying to get

the funds from the driver. He would only say he dosn't have the money. Let the school

district try to recover their expenses from him.

[ccharles000]

13. kick

[dsc]

14. This is horrible I just am so angry

That bus driver should be totally ashamed of himself at the very least.

[xchrom]

15. recommend

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

16. He Should Be Arrested For Assualt, Engaging In A Hate Crime, And Contributing To The Delinquency Of

minors.

[ccharles000]

20. I agree

[enigmatic]

22. yep

What sickening little man he is.

[Swamp Rat]

17. Russell A. Schmalz = Terrorist

:grr:

[ColoradoMagician]

18. The guys name is

Russell A. Schmalz, 46, was arrested by the Kankakee Sheriff's Police Department


http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=428947&query=bus%20driver

[ColoradoMagician]

19. offender log (wish it had a personal phone number)

Offender Record
Offender ID: 409908 Offender Name: RUSS A SCHMALZ Date of Birth: 12/05/1962 Age: 45 Custody Status: Out of Custody Reason: Bonded out Date: 10/09/2008 Race: White Gender: Male

[Eddie89]

21. Time To ACT UP!

Illinois has a hate crimes law against sexual orientation, real or perceived!

Illinois hate crimes law explicitly addresses actual or perceived sexual orientation. § 720 ILCS 5/12-7.1 (2001).

The State Attorney in Kankakkee County is John Boyd. His contact info is:

John Boyd
Criminal Division
Kankakee County Courthouse
450 E. Court St.
Rooms 301-306
Kankakee, IL 60901
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

I'm going to write a letter and urge him to prosecute for a hate crime!

I'm also going to copy the Regional Superintendent, Kay M. Pangle, I-KAN Regional Office of Education. Here's her contact info:

Kay M. Pangle, PhD
Regional Superintendent
I-Kan Regional Office of Education
189 East Court Street
Kankakee, IL 60901
815-937-2950