ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — A deacon for a church in Albany, who is also a teacher in Mitchell County, is facing charges after allegedly kicking a group of young kids off his bus and leaving them on the side of the road.

According to the incident report from the Albany Police Department, officers responded Sunday, Oct. 11 to Oakridge Baptist Church in the 1700 block of W Oakridge Drive. When officers got there, they talked to a woman who said her three children (ages 12, 11, and 9) and their 10-year-old friend who they had invited to church, had been kicked off the church bus. She reported that her mother called her and told her the church deacon, Erin Menefee, had called and said he had put the kids off the bus because they were cursing.

The mom says she was told Menefee left the kids at the intersection of Westover Boulevard and Gillionville Road. She lives on Colquitt Avenue and says it was too far for the kids to walk home. The mom says she got in her car and went looking for her kids, but couldn’t find them. She did, however, spot the church bus on the road and tried to flag it down.

According to police, the mom spoke with Menefee, who said he’d left the kids down the road. At that point, the mom went to the church to speak with the pastor and got a call from someone telling her the kids had been brought home by a stranger.

In the report, the grandmother claims she was told the children were put off the bus because they were cursing and hitting each other and the bus driver “don’t play that.”

Officers spoke with Menefee about these accusations. Menefee reportedly told officers he had about 20 kids on the bus and this particular group of kids was being disruptive, and he needed to put them off the bus for his safety. Police asked Menefee how he thought the kids were going to get home, and he claims he called their grandmother. Police say Menefee acknowledged he should’ve waited for someone to come pick them up.

At this point, officers arrested Menefee. He’s charged with multiple counts of reckless conduct. According to the incident report, Menefee is also a teacher at Mitchell County High School.

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