Letter To The Editor: Unruly boys problem in bus incident
This letter is in response to an article regarding an alleged “assault” by a bus driver, Don Astrike. I’ve known Mr. Astrike for 26 years and there is no one who cares more for our children than him.
The parent/legal guardians, of the boys, have seen the video and have chosen not to press charges. Why? Everyone knows this was not an assault, but rather a reasonable approach to get the boy’s attention and prevent further harassment of the girl. Never would I have imagined that Mr. Astrike could get in trouble for protecting another child in this manner. I have two girls (10 & 8) and it makes me proud to know that he would put himself at risk in order to protect them.
The root cause of this problem is not Mr. Astrike, but rather two unruly boys who could not keep their hands off a girl. After Don did his best to protect the girl, he was rewarded by having one boy curse at him, one boy give him obscene gestures, and a group of Southwest Dubois School Corp. officials trying to decide whether or not to retain his services. Are you kidding me?
Let’s re-group and focus on the root cause, which is clearly the behavior of the 12 year old boys. An appropriate punishment would be for the boys to extend a sincere apology to Mr. Astrike as well as the girl they harassed (i.e., bullied). They should also be required to clean Mr. Astrike’s bus due to the filthy language and obscene gestures they left behind.
Mr. Astrike, I’m proud of you and I support you 100% regardless of the outcome.
Rob Hamilton
Ferdinand
I so agree. Hats off to you Mr. Astike.
I don’t know Mr Astrike, nor have I seen the video. However, if the parents of these 12 year olds would have backed up Mr Astrikes discipline techniques instead of “reporting” him their children wouldn’t be bullying in the first place. It takes a village to raise a child. Unfortunately, these parents are sending the wrong message to their children on all accounts. I applaud any adult who reports my childs behavior to me, good or bad. My children know I expect the best from them at all times. Fortunately, I get high praises from most adults on my childrens behavior. My children also know there will be severe consequences if there is a bad report.
This man knows nothing of what happened on that bus . I seen the video. I am one of the boys in questions mother ,I have seen the tapes. 1 my son never touched the girl. 2 my son was sitting in his seat facing forward. 3. The girl who everyone is now saying was bullied was a close friend of mine daughter who has been up at my house with my son and three other children gossiping amongst themselves, playing XBOX taken pictures with each other and playing outside so if she was being bullied why would this of happened? 4 this girl went with me and my son to the school and police department to file the initial complaint and told the asst principle and the asst cheif of police what happened to the boys and told them they were all playing. 5 this man has not seen the video so how can he say or know so much. And if he has WHY has the general public not seen it so instead of forming their own opinions of what happened and know the truth? No because now its turning into a cover up. 6 I will not allow for anyone to sit there and put their hands on my child in such a manner as he did these boys. I SEEN THE TAPES! in fact today as all the kids got off the bus they all waited for one another before they started walking up to the apartments laughing, joking with each other my son the girl who everyone is saying was being bullied and two other children as a group as it has always been, has she been bullied I think not! It was all turned into a bulling mater to protect this man and his disgusting actions done on the bus. The truth will come out when the tape is revealed as it should be seeing this is infact a public matter. Its disgusting how this has all turned out. And how now everyone is persecuting these boys. And its sad when I have been told I have put my son in harms way and a target on our back because I reported this matter to the police. Well I invite anyone to try to harm my son in any way physical or emotionally and see what happens. And when the truth about this man comes out in the form of that video that I may add is in color and has sound I should only pray for everyone’s child you demand for his resignation. And so you all know this happened at school while parked in the parking lit to were if this really happened the way you all are being lead to belive instead of all this drama he could of sent the kids inside to the office were the principal would of called us parents and it could of been haddled how it should of been handle and the appropriate. Actions and discipline could have been passed out. But no nothing beginning to the end of the situation was handle how it should have been.
Wow.. THAT wasn’t easy to read..The author of this post hasn’t seen the tape, but he knows Mr. Astrike personally (do you?). Hamilton simply offered his personal opinion on the man’s character.
In any case. Let’s get the darn video online so we can all SEEN it.
I do not know him personally nor do I care to. And he has made everyone to belive the boys were bulling this girl there friend. Don has had plenty of complaints and nothing has been done even way back when I myself was in Jr high. But Huntingburg will back its own and now cover for him too. But one way or another I will make the video able to be viewed by the public and this mans credibility will be thrown way out the window. And every threat and negative word that has been spoken or said to me and my son will come back to haunt this town.
If you believe he broke the law, then maybe you should press charges instead of complaining on the internet.
“Bowman called the mother who initially reported the incident back to the police station to show her the video. After seeing it she declined to press charges; her son was sitting near the aisle and it doesn’t appear that Astrike ever touched him purposely.
Bowman interviewed the boy in the window seat with the boy’s guardian. The boy indicated it was typical playfulness between the kids and when he was asked, stated Astrike didn’t hurt him when he placed his hand on the his head.”
—-So which of the guardians in this editorial are you, Sonya? It sounds from your comments above that maybe you hold a bit of a grudge against Mr. Astrike. Maybe Mr. Astrike was wrong in his assessment that the boys were bullying the girl but according to the reports he didn’t use any type of excessive force either way. I’m sure if the story broke that a bus driver sat idly by while a young girl was bullied by two boys on the bus then Mr. Astrike would be the villain in that story as well. I applaud his efforts to stop the actions of the boys before they caused a disruption. I’m sure if they were used to some stern discipline then they wouldn’t have felt they were “assaulted” to begin with.
Call the state police department..go above there heads. They WILL investigate and the video WILL go public. I was personally mistreated when I was in high school just a few years ago. My backpack accident bumped into Mr. Don Astrike and he grabbed me by it and pushing me down in the aisle of the bus. Please do something about it or he will continue to do what he is doing!
I have known Don Astrike all my life, and I have never ever heard or have I ever seen him harm a child or anyone ever. You are a good man Don and I would be proud to have you drive my grand
kids to school or any functions. God Bless you