COUSHATTA, La. -- A Louisiana educ...

COUSHATTA, La. -- A Louisiana educate district suspended a white bus driver while it investigates complaints that she ordered nine black children to sit at the back of the bus.

No previous complaints have been lodg against the driver, who has worked several years for the R River Parish denomination district, school Superintendent Kay Easley said Thursday.

couple mothers, both black, sparked the investigation with a complaint upon Monday that their children and the other black children had been ordered to sit in pair rows of seats in the rear of the bus.

"In all these years, I've not had a problem like this," said Janice Williams, whose four children ride public seminary buses.

undivided of her children, Jarvonica Williams, 16 said the bus driver allowed many white observers to have seats all to themselves while a blacks were forced to stand or sit in others' laps.

Iva Richmond, whose 14- and 15-year-old children were forward the bus, said Thursday when academy started this month, the white driver told them she had assigned them seats, with the black children at the back of the bus.

KIDS SITTING forward LAPS

Richmond said she complained to a principal, who told the driver that if any children were assigned to seats, all would have to be.

Last week the driver assigned black observers to two seats in the back of the bus, Richmond said.

"All nine children were assigned to brace seats in the back of the bus and the older singles had to hold the smaller individuals in their laps," she said.

Easley said the driver had been suspended without pay, and she would announce the eventuates of the district's investigation at a denomination board meeting on Sept. 5

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