Portage admits bus worker's file error

PORTAGE, Mich. (WOOD) - Portage Public Schools is admitting it made a mistake when it checked the disciplinary record of a former bus driver.
 
A Portage employee signed a form that indicated Heidi Mullin had no record of misconduct during her employment with the district.
 
In fact, Portage had disciplined Mullin multiple times for inappropriate conduct including yelling at kids to "shut up" and behaving poorly with parents and community members.

== Heidi Mullin's personnel file from Portage (pdf) 24 Hour News 8 obtained via FOIA ==
 
Mullin is the Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools transportation supervisor who allegedly shoved a 7-year-old boy up against a bus window last week. She was then fired by the company that manages Galesburg-Augusta's busing -- Auxilio Services out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Galesburg police are also investigating.
 
The head of Auxilio Services had told reporters that Portage officials signed off on a form indicating Mullin had a clean disciplinary record.
 
Now, Portage is admitting it made a mistake when it performed the background check on Mullin.
 
"We're acknowledging that there was a user error," said Sarah Baker, community relations manager for Portage Public Schools.

Baker told 24 Hour News 8 the database that the district uses to check former employees' performance records showed no misconduct for Mullin.
 
Baker said the error happened when the data regarding Mullin was initially entered into the database.
 
She also said Portage is now changing how it checks backgrounds. The district will now physically pull each file to check for misconduct instead of relying on the computer database.
 
"That's another point for us to check and make sure the information we provide is (accurate)," said Baker.
 
Ed Dollin, the president of Auxillio Services, now says his company has also changed procedure.

They're changing forms and taking a second look at all employees background checks, making sure no one slipped through the cracks.

"Please don't beat up Portage," Dollin told 24 Hour News 8 over the phone from Ohio.

He said he understands how a mistake could be made, especially during the busy period leading up to the start of schools.

Most pre-privatization Galesburg bus drivers didn't apply to Auxillio, so the company had to make new hires just weeks before school started.

"It was a mistake," Dollin said. "It was an oversight."

He said the biggest mistake is in the fact Mullin didn't follow protocol.

"The fact of the matter is when she got on that bus, she chose to do what she did."

Galesburg Police Chief Jeff Heppler says the district has been slow to get him some information, especially video from the on-board cameras.

Galesburg August Superintendent Tim Vagts told 24 Hour News 8 Wednesday the district has not released the video out of concern it may violate students' privacy rights, as per legal advice.

Vagts said investigators have watched the video.

He says Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools is not trying to hinder the investigation.

24 Hour News 8's Susan Samples and Joe LaFurgey contributed to this report.