A Long Island school bus driver allegedly asked a teenage passenger for a hug — then kissed her when she offered him a handshake, police said.
Joel Cedeno, 62, was driving for Montauk Bus Co. around 6:15 a.m. Tuesday with only one passenger, a 15-year-old student, on board when he allegedly pulled the bus over on a Patchogue street and asked the girl for a hug, Suffolk County police said late Sunday.
When she offered Cedeno handshake, he kissed her, police said.
The teen told her mother, who reported the incident to the Patchogue-Medford School District. Cedeno was arrested Sunday evening after school officials told police.
He was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and issued a desk appearance ticket, cops said. Cedeno, who lives in Shirley, is due in court on May 21.
A statement posted to the school district’s website notes that Cedeno was employed by an outside contractor and had “passed all necessary background checks and certifications.”
He has been removed from the bus route and decertified following the incident, according to the statement.
“The school district values student safety and security more than anything and has procedures in place to ensure we react to these situations as quickly as possible,” the statement reads. “We continue to work with our bus companies to ensure that they are in full compliance with all laws and district policies. Again, our students are our primary concern and incidents of this nature are not tolerated in the Patchogue-Medford School District.”
A spokesman for Montauk Bus Co. told The Post that Cedeno has no history of similar behavior and his actions “have nothing to do with the company policy.”
“All the drivers have handbooks, rules and regulations that they’re required to follow,” company attorney and spokesman Robert Macedonio said Monday. “He is no longer employed with the company, we don’t condone the actions and we hope that the child will be okay.”
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