Parents want answers after bus driver accused of kidnapping special needs kids (2024)

FROM NEWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO BE ABLE TO TELL US WHEN THINGS HAVE GONE AWRY. JESSIE CHAMPION IS A NEWTON PARENT OF KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. SHE’S TALKING ABOUT THE THREE NONVERBAL KIDS AT THE NEWTON EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT POLICE SAY WERE KIDNAPED BY A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER LAST SPRING AND PHOTOGRAPHED AT SECLUDED AREAS AFTER THE DRIVER TURNED OFF THE BUS’S AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING DEVICES. MY FIRST QUESTION ABOUT THE DEVICES BEING TURNED OFF IS WHY WAS HE ABLE TO DO THAT? THE DRIVER, 42 YEAR OLD JUSTIN VOSE OF BEDFORD, IS ACCUSED OF KIDNAPING THE THREE KIDS, AGES 3 TO 5, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, TAKING THEM TO AREAS TO SHOOT THE PHOTOS. POLICE GOT INVOLVED WHEN THOSE KIDS WERE LATE GETTING HOME. THE BUS COMPANY JSC TRANSPORTATION WAS ABLE TO TRACK VOSE’S GPS TO AREAS HE SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN. TODAY, NEWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONFIRMED VOSE WAS SUSPENDED BY THE COMPANY LAST SPRING. ADDING, QUOTE, THE DRIVER NOTED IN THIS SITUATION PASSED ALL THE CHECKS AND HAD NO HISTORY OF PRIOR INCIDENTS. AS FAR AS WE KNOW. THE TRUTH IS THAT THEY’VE ONLY COMMUNICATED WITH A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WHO HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH THIS DRIVER. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS DRIVER HAS BEEN WORKING FOR JSC FOR 12 YEARS. HOW FAR BACK DID TRACING GO? SHE WAS REFERRING TO THE NUMBER OF SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN WITH THAT DRIVER OVER THE PAST DECADE. THAT IS UNCLEAR. WHAT IS CLEAR THAT DRIVER WAS SUSPENDED LAST SPRING. HE WAS INDICTED THIS WEEK AND HE WILL BE ARRAIGNED ON OCTOBER 25TH. WE’RE LIV

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Newton parents demand answers after bus driver accused of kidnapping kids with special needs

Some parents in Newton say they had no idea about a bus driver being arrested and accused of kidnapping children with special needs."These are kids that don't necessarily have the communication skills to be able to tell us when things have gone awry," Jessi Champion, a Newton parent of kids with special needs, said. Champion is referring to three non-verbal children at the Newton Early Education program that police say were kidnapped by a school bus driver last spring and photographed at secluded areas after the driver turned off the bus’s audio and video recording devices."My first question about the devices being turned off is, 'Why was he able to do that?'" she asked. The driver, Justin Vose, 42, of Bedford, is accused of kidnapping the three children — ages 3 to 5 — on multiple occasions, taking them to areas to shoot the photos. Police got involved when the children were late getting home. The bus company, J.S.C. Transportation, was able to track Vose using GPS to areas he shouldn't have been.On Friday, Newton Public Schools confirmed Vose was suspended by the company last spring, adding, "The driver noted in this situation, passed all the checks and had no history of prior incidents as far as we know.""The truth is that they've only communicated with a small percentage of families who have had contact with this driver. My understanding is that this driver has been working for J.S.C. for 12 years," Champion said. "How far back did tracing go?"Vose was indicted this week and will be arraigned on Oct 25.

NEWTON, Mass. —

Some parents in Newton say they had no idea about a bus driver being arrested and accused of kidnapping children with special needs.

"These are kids that don't necessarily have the communication skills to be able to tell us when things have gone awry," Jessi Champion, a Newton parent of kids with special needs, said.

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Champion is referring to three non-verbal children at the Newton Early Education program that police say were kidnapped by a school bus driver last spring and photographed at secluded areas after the driver turned off the bus’s audio and video recording devices.

"My first question about the devices being turned off is, 'Why was he able to do that?'" she asked.

The driver, Justin Vose, 42, of Bedford, is accused of kidnapping the three children — ages 3 to 5 — on multiple occasions, taking them to areas to shoot the photos. Police got involved when the children were late getting home.

The bus company, J.S.C. Transportation, was able to track Vose using GPS to areas he shouldn't have been.

Bus driver accused of kidnapping 3 preschool-age children in Newton

On Friday, Newton Public Schools confirmed Vose was suspended by the company last spring, adding, "The driver noted in this situation, passed all the checks and had no history of prior incidents as far as we know."

"The truth is that they've only communicated with a small percentage of families who have had contact with this driver. My understanding is that this driver has been working for J.S.C. for 12 years," Champion said. "How far back did tracing go?"

Vose was indicted this week and will be arraigned on Oct 25.

Parents want answers after bus driver accused of kidnapping special needs kids (2024)
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