Dad claims bus driver injured students

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Kids can get rowdy on the bus ride to school, but an angry father says the way an Albuquerque school bus driver handled it left middle school students injured and he wants that bus driver gone.

“We entrust our kids with these guardians in the morning to take them to school safely and this guy did the opposite,” Robbie Sanchez said.
    
Robbie Sanchez says his daughter's bus ride to John Adams Middle School turned dangerous Tuesday morning, because some classmates had annoyed the bus driver.

“It turns out the bus driver in the morning was a little upset with some boys throwing some papers so he slammed the brakes on the bus causing all the kids to be jolted forward and hit the hard seats in front of them,” Sanchez said.
    
A jolt so severe, Sanchez says some kids thought they had been in a crash.
    
He says several kids’ faces were slammed into the seats and his daughter hurt her shoulder.

“My daughter came home yesterday afterschool complaining of some soreness and tenderness to her shoulder,” Sanchez said.
    
The angry dad immediately called APS.

“He actually injured our kids deliberately,” Sanchez said.
    
APS says other parents complained to the school principal.
    
A district investigation has been launched.
    
So far, APS says the substitute bus driver denies hitting the brakes.
    
His employer, Herrera Coaches, is contracted by the district.
    
APS has requested the substitute not drive any more school buses.

“Plus, she's honor roll. She wasn't throwing paper. She wasn't cussing and even the kids that were don't deserve to be treated physically, reprimanded physically,” Sanchez said.
 
KRQE News 13 spoke with a manager at the Herrera Bus Company and said he needs to speak to the driver, who so far has a clean record with the company.
    
The manager says if the driver slammed on the brakes inappropriately, he will be disciplined.