A Guntown family says several students were left to walk home after a school bus driver ordered them off the vehicle.
GUNTOWN, Miss. — Mississippi parents are demanding answers after they say their 11-year-old daughter and several other students were ordered off a school bus and left to walk about three miles home, prompting a district personnel response and a review by law enforcement.
James and Ann Lofton said they learned their daughter was walking along the road instead of being brought home on her regular Lee County School District bus. The couple said several other children also had been told to leave the bus. Publicly available reports have not established why the driver allegedly ordered the students off, and the school district has not released a detailed account of what happened.
Ann Lofton said parents expect children riding a school bus to be kept safe from the time they leave home until they return. She said receiving word that her daughter was instead walking along the roadside raised immediate concerns about the students’ safety. The family has not publicly identified their daughter, and reports reviewed for this story did not provide the names or ages of the other children involved.
The Loftons said they reported the incident to the Lee County School District. According to the parents, Superintendent Coke Magee suspended the bus driver for five days following their complaint. The district has not publicly confirmed the length of any suspension, saying only that officials were aware of the matter and that it was being handled as a personnel issue.
That response has not satisfied James Lofton, who said he believes officials responsible for transporting students should face stronger consequences. He argued that school transportation employees and administrators have a duty to keep students safe and questioned how leaving children to walk along a road was consistent with that responsibility.
James Lofton also brought his concerns to law enforcement. Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson said investigators had not found evidence supporting criminal charges against the bus driver. No arrest or criminal charge had been announced in connection with the incident as of the latest reports reviewed.
The available accounts leave several important details unresolved, including what happened on the bus before the students were told to get off, where they were let out and whether district rules governing student drop-offs were followed. Neither the district nor law enforcement had publicly released a detailed timeline of the incident.
The Loftons said they are seeking an attorney as they consider what action to take. James Lofton said his concerns extend beyond his own daughter because other families rely on school transportation and expect their children to be delivered safely to their designated stops.
The Lee County School District continues to treat the matter as a personnel issue, while the sheriff has said investigators have not identified grounds for criminal charges. The reason the students were allegedly ordered from the bus remains publicly unclear.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.