Linehan Pushing 'Notification' Bill Following Bus Driver Case

SOUTHINGTON, CT — State Rep. Liz Linehan (D-Cheshire/Southington/Wallingford) said Monday that a bill she introduced to "ensure town boards of education are notified when employees hired by contractors are arrested" will receive a public hearing in front of the Education Committee on Thursday.

Linehan asked the Education Committee to raise HB 5334, "An Act Concerning Notification By Contractors To Boards Of Education Regarding Incidents Of Arrest Of Employees," after learning of the arrest of a Southington school bus driver accused of sexually assaulting a girl for eight years.

A Wolcott man, who is a former New Britain Transit bus driver, was arrested in December after being accused of sexually assaulting a girl for eight years, police said. According to judicial system records, Joseph Addona, 60, was charged with first-degree sexual assault, first-degree harassment and illegal sexual contact, court records show. He is due for a court appearance on Thursday.

The school bus company fired him driver following his arrest, but never notified Southington’s board of education of the incident, raising concerns that the school district was denied the opportunity to investigate if the man had abused children through his position as a bus driver, Linehan said.

“That the Board of Education was never informed that a school bus driver was arrested for sexual abuse is terrifying to every parent of young children. Firing the individual isn’t the end of it – the school district needs to be promptly notified so they in turn can notify the parents and conduct a full investigation,” Rep. Linehan said. “I think people, myself included, were shocked to learn that notification in these instances is not already mandatory. We urgently need to fix this dangerous oversight.”

The public hearing is slated for 11 a.m. on Thursday, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Written testimony can be submitted to the Education Committee by email at edtestimony@cga.ct.gov.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel