Father arrested for allegedly interfering with Sumter School District bus route in August 2018

A 29-year-old man was arrested Thursday and charged with interfering with the operation of a school bus for allegedly preventing the driver from closing the bus door in August, according to Sumter County Third Judicial Circuit and Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.

Marquis Rogers, of Gene Drive, was taken into custody for allegedly preventing the bus driver from proceeding on her route while at a bus stop between Wilma and Reona avenues on Aug. 27, 2018, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.

Rogers and the bus driver reportedly had a verbal altercation when Rogers came to the bus stop stating his son was threatened by the driver, according to an incident report.

The bus driver told the responding deputy that Rogers said his son told him the bus driver “said she was going to lay hands on him” during a verbal altercation. The driver said the middle school student was upset because she asked him to sit at the front of the bus before she started her high school route.

She said she asked all middle school students to sit at the front of the bus, according to the report.

During his interaction with the bus driver, Rogers reportedly told her, “I will show you how to put hands on somebody” and put his hands on the bus door preventing the driver from closing the door.

Rogers was transported to Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center where he was given a personal recognizance bond of $1,062.50.

He has since been released after making bond on Friday.