Bus driver rapped for handing out tapes to children

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1998 | 10:47 a.m.

Clark County School District officials suspended a Green Valley bus driver Tuesday pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations that the driver passed out rap music tapes with sexually explicit lyrics to middle school students.

"I think it was an honest mistake, bad judgment on his part," said Charles Brown, supervisor of the driver whose identity has not been released but who reportedly is called Mr. T by the students who ride his bus. "He should have listened to the entire tape first. He thought he was doing something good for the kids."

An irate father who listened to the tape before his 13-year-old son, Cody, and 14-year-old daughter, Dallas, could hear it was not buying the explanation.

"He knew exactly what was on the tapes," said Randy Parker, whose son and daughter attend Thurman White Middle School. "My children said he was playing it on the bus so everyone could hear it."

Brown said the driver, who has worked for the district for three years, has been suspended and it may take a week to 10 days before an administrative meeting can be held.

The incident is being investigated by the school district to determine whether the driver should be fired or punished in some other way.

"I can't say he will be fired," Brown said. "I've been here 27 years and have never seen anything like this."

Brown said the driver has a number of friends who work for various record companies and he was given a box of about 40 tapes of a new release by rap star Canibus called "Also Can-I-Bus" to distribute.

Parker wants the driver fired and if that doesn't happen he said he will take his case to the School Board.

"It's the same thing as having a bag of Playboy magazines on the bus and handing them out to the children," said Parker, a self-employed businessman. "You and I may think the magazine is tasteful -- but it's not for 13- and 14-year-olds."

Parker would like to see criminal charges filed against the driver.

"If a convenience store clerk can be convicted of a misdemeanor and fined for selling cigarettes to a minor, then the school bus driver should be able to be punished as well," according to Parker.

Parker said he heard his children talking about being given a tape by their school bus driver Monday when they came home from school. He heard them mention the name "Canibus" and thought it might have to do with "cannabis," or marijuana.

He listened to the tape Monday night in private and within the first 30 seconds, he said, he heard the most vulgar, sexually explicit rap song imaginable.

"There was a lot of profanity," said Parker. "He was giving them out to every student on the bus."