Parents Sue School After Daughter Left Alone On Bus

🚌 A 4-year-old girl was left alone on a school bus for five hours in Egg Harbor Township after the aide allegedly disabled the safety alarm.

😱 Her parents only found out when they arrived at school for a party and were told she was absent — sparking a frantic search.

⚖️ The family is now suing, alleging gross negligence and failure to follow state safety laws for student transport.

A new lawsuit alleges a school bus aide turned off the "child check alarm" before all the students got off their school bus in Egg Harbor Township.

As a result, Darielle and Miguel Lugo say their 4-year-old daughter was stranded alone on the bus for five hours after she had fallen asleep on the way to school.

The incident occurred in 2024, but the lawsuit has only recently been filed.

Parents discovered daughter missing at class party

A police report of the incident says the Lugos only learned about the situation when they arrived at her school to attend a class party. They were told their daughter was absent. An immediate search was launched, and the preschooler was found sleeping on the bus in a transportation lot about an hour later.

The lawyer for the Lugos told NJ.com, "Thankfully, it wasn’t freezing cold that day because it could have been a worse situation."

NJ bus safety laws ignored, lawsuit alleges

There are specific rules for bus aides and drivers in New Jersey designed to prevent children from being left alone on school buses.

State law requires drivers to visually inspect the bus at the end of every route. In addition, any vehicle used to transport children must have a child check alarm system, which requires someone to walk to the back of the bus to deactivate it — ensuring no child is left behind.

The lawsuit in this case alleges the alarm was turned off before all the children had exited the bus.

Driver and aide fired — but no charges announced

It was previously reported that the bus driver and an aide were fired after a district investigation. While New Jersey law allows for criminal charges in such incidents, it is unclear if anyone has been charged.

Egg Harbor School Superintendent Kim Gruccio has declined to comment on the lawsuit.

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