Austintown board fires school-bus driver

By Elise Franco

efranco@vindy.com

Austintown

An Austintown schools bus driver was fired after officials discovered she’d violated several district regulations.

Superintendent Vince Colaluca said the board of education voted Tuesday during a special meeting in favor of terminating the contract of Dana Learn, 40, of Austintown.

A parent reported Learn, who had been a full-time driver with the district since 2001, on May 5 for talking on a cellphone while operating her school bus, according to the resolution approved by the board.

“A review of the on-board bus tape confirmed two different occasions in which Ms. Learn was talking on her cellphone while driving the school bus,” the resolution said.

Learn declined to comment Tuesday afternoon. As a nonteaching employee, she was a member of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 194.

She was placed on five days of unpaid suspension after a May 19 disciplinary hearing, and Colaluca said a review of video from her bus uncovered several other infractions, which led to her termination.

“Termination is a combination of instances,” he said. “As we were reviewing the video for the cellphone, we found other infractions.”

On May 4, video from Learn’s bus revealed that she’d made derogatory comments about her supervisor in front of elementary school-aged children and directly to another district employee, the resolution said.

“All of this behavior is completely inappropriate, insubordinate, and exhibits a blatant disregard for authority,” the resolution stated. “Moreover, the fact that it occurred in front of elementary school-age children compounds the severity of the offense.”

Colaluca said any type of offense of this nature is considered severe and investigated by the district.

“We understand this is a family’s life that’s affected,” he said. “But we know we have to hold high standards for employees, especially those who transport our children.”