On the morning of Sept. 19, 5-year-old Charles Carpenter was left alone on his school bus for nearly four hours after the bus arrived at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. “We left a five-year-old child on a school bus,” lawyer Gregory Payne said. “That’s just frankly, unacceptable.” The Carpenters filed a lawsuit this week against the Bentonville School District. Payne is one of the attorneys representing the family. “The Carpenters – the family, the parents – their biggest concern, of course, is Charlie’s safety,” Payne said. According to the lawsuit, Charles Carpenter called out for his mom and dad, urinated himself, and sweated profusely while he sat alone on the bus. The lawsuit also says that it was 91 degrees outside at 11 am, around the same time that Carpenter was found. “Money has never been the end goal here, Payne said. The Bentonville School District will meet on Tuesday night to provide updates for their new bussing systems and hear from the district’s transportation director. “I can’t really comment on a potential lawsuit or the potential intentions to file a lawsuit,” Bentonville School Board President Eric White said. “It didn’t change any of the course that we were on.”
On the morning of Sept. 19, 5-year-old Charles Carpenter was left alone on his school bus for nearly four hours after the bus arrived at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.
“We left a five-year-old child on a school bus,” lawyer Gregory Payne said. “That’s just frankly, unacceptable.”
The Carpenters filed a lawsuit this week against the Bentonville School District.
Payne is one of the attorneys representing the family.
“The Carpenters – the family, the parents – their biggest concern, of course, is Charlie’s safety,” Payne said.
According to the lawsuit, Charles Carpenter called out for his mom and dad, urinated himself, and sweated profusely while he sat alone on the bus.
The lawsuit also says that it was 91 degrees outside at 11 am, around the same time that Carpenter was found.
“Money has never been the end goal here, Payne said.
The Bentonville School District will meet on Tuesday night to provide updates for their new bussing systems and hear from the district’s transportation director.
“I can’t really comment on a potential lawsuit or the potential intentions to file a lawsuit,” Bentonville School Board President Eric White said. “It didn’t change any of the course that we were on.”
