PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Palm Beach County mother says she was left shocked, frustrated and ignored after learning a school bus driver who took her daughter off-route and stopped at his private residence was allowed to keep working after the incident was confirmed.
A four-second video taken from inside a school bus shows a man quickly running into a home while the bus remains idling outside. The video was recorded by the 15-year-old daughter of Rebecca Harley, who says the incident happened during afternoon drop-off on Nov. 5, 2025.
WATCH: 15-year-old student filmed bus driver stopping at his house
Harley says her daughter texted her that day: "My bus driver stopped off at his house lol."
"At first it kind of looked like it may have been a joke," Harley said.
But she now believes her daughter was quietly asking if this was normal.
"I feel like she was gauging me to say, 'Is this okay? Like, am I safe? Is this normal?'"
Days later, Harley reported the incident to the school district's transportation department. She says staff pulled bus surveillance video, confirmed her daughter was the only student on board when the driver made the stop, and told her the issue would be handled through proper channels.
"I do remember feeling validated when we finished that phone call," Harley said.
But months later, Harley says she discovered nothing had changed during a conversation with her daughter.
"And I just make small talk saying, 'How are things going with the new bus driver?' And she says, 'What new bus driver?'" Harley recalled.
Harley says her daughter continued riding with the same driver. She says she immediately began calling district staff again.
"Immediately, I got back on the phone with the same individual I spoke to," she said. "I think I called every single day for like seven or eight days."
She says she was eventually told the driver had been reassigned to a different route — not fired.
"I definitely feel like they dropped the ball," Harley said.
She believes the incident should have resulted in termination.
"We're trusting you with our kids. You have a responsibility to us to address that in the most aggressive manner possible, where there's concrete evidence that they deviated from protocol. Anything could have happened to my child," she said.
Harley says she is now speaking out because she wants accountability and transparency.
"I think other parents in Palm Beach County should know the lack of regard for procedure and protocol of the people that are transporting our kids," said Harley. "It's simple, follow the protocol, follow the route, do your personal errands on your own time, and without our children on your bus."
WPTV has reached out to the School District of Palm Beach County to ask what policy applies when a driver deviates from an assigned route with a student still on board, and what safeguards are in place to ensure this does not happen again. We are still waiting for a response.
