Students on Canton’s C10 bus route got a front-row seat to chaos Tuesday morning when a parent allegedly attacked their driver near the Avalon apartment complex on the Canton–Randolph line, prompting a police response and a scramble by school officials to calm shaken kids.
According to district officials, the driver of the C10 Canton school bus was allegedly assaulted while children were on board. Randolph fire crews evaluated the driver at the scene, and bus company First Student sent a replacement driver to finish the route. The district said no students were hurt. When the children arrived at Hansen Elementary School, counselors were waiting, and administrators announced they would ride the C10 for the rest of the week.
What Officials Say
Superintendent Derek Folan and Hansen Principal Tami Olsen said a verbal dispute between a parent and the driver escalated into a physical confrontation while the bus was stopped to pick up students, according to WHDH. District routing documents show the C10 typically stops on Randolph Street and at Canton Street near Avalon Drive, per Canton Public Schools.
Witnesses Describe Chaotic Scene
Parents and students described a frightening scene that turned a routine morning ride into something far more intense. A second-grade student told WCVB, “I was feeling really scared,” while parents recalled children crying as adults rushed in to intervene. The station reported that witnesses said the driver was hit multiple times, although officials stressed that the employee was not seriously injured.
District And Company Response
First Student, the company that operates the bus, called the episode “deeply disturbed” and said it was “thankful our driver was not seriously hurt,” according to the district’s statement cited by WHDH. Canton Public Schools said counselors met individually with students and that the district is working with police in both Canton and Randolph while administrators continue riding the C10 to keep an eye on student well-being. Families directly involved were contacted, and the district urged anyone with concerns to reach out to the Hansen administration.
Broader Context
Incidents like this are not unique to Canton. Other Massachusetts school bus drivers have reported being assaulted on the job, triggering police inquiries and raising alarms about driver safety. A Boston case in April 2023 showed how quickly an ordinary school run can turn into a criminal investigation, according to The Boston Globe.
