Special Meeting To Be Held In Wake Of Bus Monitor's Arrest

Supt. Victor Mercurio announced Friday there will be a meeting for parents to discuss the arrest Thursday of Scott Sanford, an EG bus monitor for several years.

Sanford and 10 others were arrested by the Rhode Island State Police for possessing and distributing child pornography. He has worked for Ocean State Transit since that company took over bus service for the school district in 2009. Before that, he was an employee with First Student, the district's former bus contractor.

Most recently, he was a bus monitor for Bus 2, which transports children kindergarten through high school age, depending on the time of day.

The meeting for parents and guardians is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, at Eldredge Elementary School. School officials and representatives from Ocean State Transit will be on hand, as well as EG police to answer questions and concerns, according to Mercurio. 

"I’d like to acknowledge our shared concern that this news has brought to our community," said Mercurio in an email that went out to parents midday Friday. "The safety and well being of our students is paramount to all of us. Please be assured that I will continue to provide updates of any relevant information as it becomes available."

"To that end, it has been confirmed by Ocean State Transit that this individual did, indeed, have the statutorily required background check, and said background check was current and on file at the office of Ocean State Transit, the East Greenwich Public Schools' transportation vendor. The individual primarily served as the monitor for Bus #2. As I communicated yesterday afternoon, this individual is no longer employed by Ocean State Transit. As a result of yesterday's court proceedings, he is not to have any contact with children under the age of 18 and/or have access to the internet. We have been in contact with both local and state police to make sure that these parameters are followed accordingly."

"Please be assured that the East Greenwich Public Schools considers the safety of its students as its highest priority and I will continue to pursue every means possible to ensure that safety," Mercurio said.

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