Students from two San Jose high schools were traveling by bus to DeAnza Community College in Cupertino last month when a person riding the bus was discovered to be a sex offender who was in compliance with his registrant status.
East Side Union School District Superintendent Chris Funk said n Thursday that after speaking with San Jose police, the person did not have any inappropriate or physical contact with the children from Andrew Hill and Silver Creek high schools the day in question - Feb. 14.
It turns out, the man was some sort of acquaintance with a mother of one of the students, who asked that she and the man catch a ride back from DeAnza with the kids, Funk said. The woman is in a wheelchair, and a staff member on the bus felt badly for her and let her on. She and the man sat in the front of the day.
The mother was known to the district and had filled out permission slips in the past to ride with children, thought she hadn't that day, Funk said. The man is not known to the district, Funk said, and had never filled out forms to ride on the bus.
A student on the bus recognized the man as a distant relative, Funk said, and later told his or her parents. The parents told the student to stay away from the man because is he a sexual offender, Funk said.
Police said that the man was "in compliance" with his sexual offender status, but are still looking into the matter.
Funk also wrote that because of this incident, the district is now "reviewing our policies and procedures, as well as requiring all district employees to be reeducated in their understanding of our rules in order to ensure that our standards are always upheld."
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As superintendent, Funk added that he was "disappointed" that this occurred.
