NYC Special Education Students Left Trapped on School Bus for Hours

An investigation into an incident last December has revealed that six nonverbal special education students in New York City were left on a school bus for nearly five hours, with one child found lying wet on the bus floor. The Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District, Anastasia Coleman, stated that driver Eric Chery missed the morning drop-off window at PS 289 in Crown Heights on Dec. 16, 2025.

Coleman described the situation as "highly disturbing," emphasizing that these vulnerable students depend on entrusted adults for their safety. Instead of arriving between 8:20 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., Chery did not reach PS 289 until 1:25 p.m.

School staff attempted to contact Chery's employer, Consolidated Bus Transit, around 10 a.m. but received no response. Department of Education GPS data later showed the bus was at one student's home as late as 10:59 a.m., contradicting Chery's claim that all students had been picked up by 10 a.m. A parent used tracking devices to confirm her children were being transported across Brooklyn.

At 11:45 a.m., a dispatcher informed school staff that the driver was lost but promised an arrival within 15 minutes. When the bus finally arrived, school personnel discovered one child had urinated, removed her own diaper and leggings, and was lying on the wet floor. The bus matron, Germina Thomas, admitted to investigators that she had not communicated with the driver or sought assistance from the school, bus depot, or other contacts.

The New York City Police Department is investigating the incident. It remains unclear if Chery has been arrested.

Councilmember Gale Brewer commented that school bus delays are a persistent issue, noting that similar problems were identified in November 2022 with 350 buses experiencing daily delays. She stated that while this case highlights a critical failure affecting several students, their families, and schools, it is not an isolated situation.