School bus driver allegedly threatened to ‘cook’ kids, turned heat dangerously high with windows closed
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SUGARCREEK, Pennsylvania (TMX) — A school bus driver in Pennsylvania is facing charges for allegedly turning up the heat to dangerous levels and threatening to “cook” the young children on board, police said.
The Sugarcreek Borough Police Department said it received multiple complaints last week from parents who reported that their children came off the school bus from Valley Grove Elementary School “crying and extremely sweaty.” The children reported that their bus driver had them close all the windows as he turned up the heat — despite an outside temperature of 74 degrees — in order to punish them for their behavior.
The bus driver, identified as 75-year-old Harvey Sliker, allegedly put the bus heater on “full blast” and told the children, “I am going to cook you all.” He also allegedly threatened to bring a paddle to use on the children the following day.
According to police, investigators determined that the school bus could reach temperatures of 95–100 degrees with the windows up and the heater on full amid the current outdoor temperatures.
The children on the bus ranged in age from 5 to 12, and police said Sliker’s actions and threats left them “in fear of serious bodily injury.”
Sliker was charged with simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, both misdemeanors. Police said Sliker has also been advised of a “no trespass letter” barring him from any school property or functions where school activities occur.