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Wayne board places transportation termination on agenda after driver describes minor crash; public speakers defend her
Summary
The Wayne Board of Education included a recommendation to terminate a transportation employee after a reported minor vehicle contact; the driver told the board she left a note, photographed the scene and called police after ensuring students were safe, and several public commenters urged leniency and emphasized her record.
The Wayne Board of Education on Sept. 11 listed a recommendation to terminate the employment of a transportation department employee, effective Sept. 11, 2025, while the public comment period produced multiple speakers calling for context and clemency.
In public comment, Elham Muhaixen, who identified herself as a bus driver living at 37 Pershing Road in Clifton, told the board she was dropping students when her bus 'tapped the parked car.' She said she ensured all children were safe, left a note on the vehicle, photographed the scene and notified police: "I dropped the kids, came back, and we called the cops and he take care of everything," she said.
A resident who described 30 years of experience in education security (speaker 5) urged the board to weigh intent and service history before acting. "She secured the kids' safety and then protected the interest of the district going back to the scene within minutes," the commenter said, adding that the driver "worked for 5 years... and this job means a lot to her."
Board procedural guidance limited how the board could respond: the chair read the public-comment rules and reminded attendees that "comments regarding employees or students cannot be legally responded to tonight by the board." The termination recommendation appeared on the meeting agenda as an HR item; the agenda language recorded by the board staff was: "Approving the recommendation to terminate employment, inclusion member, which will be added, effective 09/11/2025." The meeting record indicates the board moved through the consent/approval items and the motion carried during the session.
The public speakers asked the board to consider the employee's intent, prior service and the immediate actions taken to secure student safety. The board did not issue an on-the-record response to employee-specific comments during public comment per its stated rules.
Next steps: the item remained on the agenda for formal action and will be reflected in the board’s personnel records and minutes for Sept. 11, 2025.
