x
Breaking News
More () »

Father of special needs son demands answers from JP School Board about buses

“I’m fighting for my children here. And they treat me like I’m some sort of nagging wife or somebody with a scratched Mercedes-Benz. These are my children," Guillot said.

HARVEY, La. —

John Guillot is a father determined. He showed up at Tuesday night’s school board meeting carrying close-up shots of the bus engine that began smoking outside of his home about two weeks ago. 

Inside of the bus was his quadriplegic son, Joseph. 

“Joseph cannot get up and walk off the bus like everyone else can,” Guillot said. 

The first time that story aired, Guillot spoke directly to First Students Bus Company. A spokesperson told WWL-TV that their buses are inspected regularly, and until the coolant leak is fixed, the bus will not be used. But Guillot wants to dig deeper. 

SEE: Father angry after he says smoke was coming from school bus carrying his disabled son

“I wanna know who’s inspecting these buses. I wanna see the inspection report that took place after the incident. And I’d also like to have an independent mechanic look at this hood to see if all of the wiring harnesses are still there. And, I’d like to see if a professional electrical, automobile mechanic can sign off on this and say ‘This is what a quadriplegic child should be riding in,'” Guillot said. 

Guillot went to the school board meeting Tuesday night, but it was a special meeting, meaning there was no public comment. Once the meeting was over, though, Guillot went directly to school board President Larry Dale and Chief Operations Officer Lale Ger. 

Guillot had a father’s passion, and the school officials promised to hear him out. 

Dale told WWL-TV he wasn’t familiar with the particular situation, so we asked Ger for an update. 

“Listen, the buses are fine.” Ger said. “Mr. Guillot and I, we’re going to sit down, we’re going to work through the problem that we have right now, to make sure that everything is resolved for next year. That’s the bottom line,” Ger said. 

ALSO: Taken for a Ride - A David Hammer investigation

Ger says he understands Guillot’s worries, but assures the parent that student safety is always a big priority for his district. 

“Jefferson Parish, we transport 41,000 kids, twice a day. And we do that without much issue. And when we do have an issue, we’re going to resolve it. So I promised this man we’re going to get it all worked out. All of our buses are state certified. First student as well,” Ger said. 

Until Guillot feels 100 percent comfortable and certain the buses are top notch, he says he’s not giving up. 

“I’m fighting for my children here. And they treat me like I’m some sort of nagging wife or somebody with a scratched Mercedes-Benz. These are my children," Guillot said.

Before You Leave, Check This Out