Bus Driver Faces Lewdness Charge : Allegedly Drove 2 Students Around for Almost 2 Hours

A substitute school bus driver, who allegedly kept two 13-year-old girls on his bus unnecessarily while driving around for nearly two hours, has been charged with false imprisonment, lewd conduct and battery, the district attorney’s office said Thursday.

Deputy Dist. Atty. John Hewicker said that bus driver Willie Green, 33, of San Diego, was sent a letter ordering him to appear in court on April 2 to face charges that he allegedly drove the two Pacific Beach girls around on the morning of Feb. 20 before coming to their destination at the O’Farrell School of Creative and Performing Arts.

He finally left the two students at the school but not before he allegedly made lewd and obscene gestures and remarks to them, Hewicker said, adding, “It was a bizarre experience.”

Missed Regular Bus

According to Hewicker, the incident began about 7 a.m. when the girls missed their regular school bus to go to the magnet school located in Southeast San Diego. The father of one of the girls called the district’s transportation services office to have a sweeper bus pick them up. The two girls were the only two on Green’s bus.

A sweeper bus is a transportation service offered to students who miss their scheduled bus.

“The two kids apparently missed their regular bus, and yet it took him almost a couple of hours to take these children to school,” Hewicker said. “He took them by his house for one thing. They apparently went by the school at one point. They went from Pacific Beach to Southeast San Diego in a circuitous route, and they became frightened.”

The amount of time it takes to travel from the Pacific Beach area to the school is about 40 minutes, but the students did not arrive at the school until a few minutes before 9 a.m.

At one point during the drive, Hewicker said, the students attempted to get off the bus and when they asked how to open the doors of the bus, Green allegedly responded by putting his finger on his naval, and said, “You push this.”

Girl Allegedly Touched

On another occasion, the driver allegedly patted the one girl’s buttocks, which resulted in the misdemeanor battery count filed in the district attorney’s complaint against Green. Hewicker said Green also made lewd comments to the girls as well.

Green’s alleged obscene statements and gestures account for the misdemeanor lewd act, and the two counts of false imprisonment is a felony.

When the students reached the school, about one hour after classes had begun, they immediately notified the vice principal, who informed the district’s security office.

John McConahey, transportation services supervisor for the district, said Green was removed from his substitute driving assignment pending the investigation of the charges filed against him.

McConahey said Green has been been employed by the school district since 1979 and has been a substitute bus driver since 1982.