Allegations made, explanations needed

News of allegations that the Windham School Department allowed a bus driver who said he was considering suicide to work his route in December have led Windham Town Councilor Kaile Warren to call for an investigation into the incident.

Warren said Tuesday he received two phone calls from department employees saying a driver picked up students bound for the middle and high schools before returning to the department garage. When he returned, Warren said, Windham police were waiting and he voluntarily went to a mental hospital.

Citing federal laws designed to protect private medical information, Windham Police Chief Police Rick Lewsen said his department could not comment on what appears in the log from Dec. 10 showing the department responded to a call for a suicide/attempted suicide at the bus garage.

Windham School Department Superintendent Sandy Prince said Wednesday an incident with a driver was quickly dealt with but declined to elaborate on the incident or its resolution.

While recognizing the school department cannot by law comment on certain personnel issues, Warren’s call for an investigation should be echoed by parents, knowing that the safety of students and residents can be addressed while protecting the rights of the driver in the alleged incident.

Warren said the driver did not verbally threaten his passengers to his knowledge, but the threat to their safety is explicit if it is true he was allowed to drive his route while a supervisor knew he was threatening to kill himself.

If the allegations are true, the driver deserves our compassion. If the allegations are true, parents, students and residents served by the Windham School Department all deserve a full explanation of why the driver was allowed to drive his early route, what policies it has to protect students from drivers who are a danger to themselves and others, and what changes if any, will be made to ensure the safety of the students and confidence of their parents.

Ride safely

Deborah Turcotte, the acting director of information and education for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, had a tough first week on the job, spending last weekend gathering information regarding at least six accidents involving snowmobiles.

As difficult as her weekend was, it was all the worse for the family, friends and victims of the accidents, including one young man who died in an accident in Sanford. Locally, a 17-year-old boy from Windham sustained multiple broken bones after hitting a rock on Little Sebago Lake

That the victims were wearing helmets and not under the influence while riding was a relief and undoubtedly lessened the severity of all but one accident.

The message from Turcotte is pertinent as the weather thaws and when the inevitable chill returns – use exteme care when riding on trails and ice.

Though it is hardly a stretch to concur with Turcotte, sobriety and vigilance are the keys. Snowmobiles are fast and heavy. Branches, rocks and immovable impediments are potentially harmful or fatal. We would like to see Turcotte enjoy quieter weekends. More than that, we would like to see our readers and friends enjoy the winter safely.