School Bus Driver Held for Alleged Sex With Minor

A Laidlaw bus driver has been charged in Burbank with having sex with a 15-year-old, hearing-impaired girl he drove to a Glendale junior high school, authorities said today.

Manny G. Acosta, 33, of North Hollywood was charged Thursday with having sex with a minor, a felony, and was being held in the Burbank jail in lieu of $1,000 bail, Lt. Art Moody said.

The arrest and other recent problems with Laidlaw Transit Inc. drivers have prompted Burbank Unified School District officials to consider whether the district will continue to use the bus company, a spokesman said. Twice earlier this year Laidlaw drivers were arrested in Southern California for driving buses while allegedly drunk.

“We are aware of the problems Laidlaw has had,” said Timothy Crowner, spokesman for the school district. “We are going to look very carefully at this incident and our relationship with Laidlaw. We will look very carefully at whether we want to continue with them.”

Police said Acosta drove a bus route that took hearing-impaired Burbank students to Toll Junior High School for special education programs. The bus driver began a romantic relationship with one of the girls he transported about two months ago. School officials learned of it Monday and contacted police.

“She began to go to Toll in February and shortly after she fell in love with him,” Moody said. “There is no rape involved, but she is 15 and he is 33.”

Moody said the sexual relationship occurred in Acosta’s own van, not in a bus or on school property. He said Acosta has denied any impropriety with the girl. He was arrested Wednesday at Toll after dropping off students.

Acosta was suspended from his job by Laidlaw after his arrest. Company officials said Acosta’s arrest came as a surprise.

“He has been a good employee,” said Chris Hazen, director of safety and personnel in Southern California for the Canadian-based bus company. “He has been with us two years--no accidents, no disciplinary actions taken against him. We never had a problem with him.”