The Charlotte community has been rattled by recent events involving a school bus driver for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Sylvia Dollard, 70, is slated to appear before the bench today after she was apprehended on charges of driving while impaired with 21 children on her school bus. WCNC reported that she is facing an additional 10 counts of child abuse following her arrest last Thursday by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, which occurred after parents and children claimed she began driving the bus erratically.
In an act of caution, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools suspended Dollard with pay, pending the outcome of the investigation into the allegations. Hired by the district in 2014, Dollard's employment status now hang in balance as the judicial process moves forward. The additional charges now escalating the gravity of the situation, with QC News updating that new jail records indicate she was arrested a second time over the weekend, this time on 21 counts of misdemeanor child abuse – reflecting the number of students aboard the bus at the time of the incident.
According to CBS17, Dollard, facing these compounded allegations, is set for an electronic warrant assignment today in correlation with her most recent arrest. The legal entanglements stem initially from charges of driving under the influence, but they now encompass a wider array of concerns surrounding the wellbeing of the children once in her care.
As Dollard’s court date approaches, families and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools community are anticipating the outcome of the proceedings. The multiple counts of child abuse charges paint a concerning picture of the entrusted safety of children within the school transportation system. Aggravating this ordeal, had Dollard been first hired by the district 10 years prior, with the potential repercussions facing her now threatening to culminate her tenure in disgrace.
