Apr 3, 2009 10:55 pm US/Eastern
Broward School Bus Monitor Accused Of Molestation
Father Says The School District Did Not Notify Family For 2 Weeks
HOLLYWOOD (CBS4) ―
Hollywood Police arrested Richard Sullivan on Friday and charged the school bus monitor with two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation. Police say Sullivan took a 4-year-old special needs student to the back of a bus on March 16 and touched her inappropriately.
A school bus driver noticed something strange and alerted police.
The victim's father, Josue Melgar, is irate. He is not only angry at Sullivan but he wonders why the school district did not notify the family when the incident occurred. Melgar said the family just learned of the allegations on Thursday, April 2.
"I don't know for how these people (the school district) could do this without sending the girl back home and acting like nothing has happened," said Melgar. "That's not the way to do this. I just feel devastated when I think about that. I can't sleep just thinking about that."
Melgar said school police called him on Thursday to deliver the news.
"They give me excuses saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' saying, 'We told this person to call you.' It's not the way to handle things," Melgar said.
Keith Bromery, a spokesperson for the Broward County School District told
CBS4 News the district launched an investigation as soon as they were notified of the allegations on March 16. The district immediately removed Sullivan from his position and reassigned him to a job away from kids. Bromery was not sure why the Melgars were not notified immediately, but Bromery said it is up to each school to notify parents in situations like this.
Melgar said he is so incensed he removed his daughter from Sheridan Hills Elementary and placed her in a different school. Melgar wonders if his daughter had been victimized prior to March 16.
"I don't know for how long this has been happening," Melgar said. "I just feel devastated when I think about that. I can't sleep just thinking about that."
Melgar said he and his wife noticed his daughter's behavior change a few weeks ago, but they didn't know why. Now, he does.
"She say she don't want to go back to school anymore," Melgar said. "She don't want to ride the bus."
The bus driver, Connie Doe, provided a taped statement to police, saying that while driving the children to school that morning she noticed Sullivan rubbing the thigh and upper crotch area of the victim.
Hollywood Police also charged Sullivan with an additional count of battery, saying Sullivan inappropriately touched another child on the bus on March 16.
"It is always disheartening when it is someone who's in charge or the care and custody of children does something like this," said Hollywood Police Lt. Scott Padron, "but we're proud of the fact the school bus driver knew something was wrong and was very alert, went to the back of the bus to investigate and found this before it got any worse."
Hollywood Police told
CBS4 News they are concerned Richard Sullivan may have victimized other children. If you have any information, call the Hollywood Police Department. Anyone with additional information should contact Hollywood Police Detective Brian Roussell at
954-967-4411.
CBS4.COM's Daniel Lastra Contributed To This Report
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