A Georgia church deacon who also works as a teacher faces four counts of reckless conduct after authorities say he left four children on the side of a road when he removed them from a church bus over alleged misbehavior.
Police arrested Erin Menefee, 42, in connection with the incident. According to an Albany Police Department incident report, the children’s mother reported that someone had dropped off her three children, ages 12, 11 and 9, and their 10-year-old friend at an intersection in Albany.
Menefee reportedly left the children near Westover Boulevard and Gillionville Road, several miles from their home on Colquitt Avenue.
Police responded to Oakridge Baptist Church on Sunday, Oct. 11, after the mother reported the incident. She said her own mother had contacted her after receiving a call from Menefee, who allegedly told the grandmother he had removed the children from the bus because they were cursing.
The mother said she drove around searching for the children after learning where Menefee had reportedly dropped them off, but she couldn’t find them. She spotted the church bus and tried to flag it down. When she spoke with Menefee, he reportedly confirmed that he had left the children farther down the road.
She then went to the church to speak with the pastor. While there, she received word that a passerby had found the children and driven them home.
According to the police report, the children’s grandmother said someone told her that Menefee had removed the group from the bus because they were cursing and hitting one another. Prior to putting the children off the bus, Menefee reportedly told the children, “I don’t play that.”
When officers questioned Menefee, he reportedly said he had about 20 children on the bus and that the four children had been disruptive. He told police he removed them because he believed their behavior posed a safety concern.
The mother told police the intersection was too far for the children to walk home safely. WALB identified the location as being nearly four miles from their residence.
Authorities have not alleged that the children suffered physical injuries. The incident report centers on the decision to leave them along the roadway without waiting for a responsible adult to collect them.
Police arrested Menefee on multiple counts of reckless conduct. The incident report identifies him as a teacher at Mitchell County High School in addition to his role as a church deacon.
Authorities took him to the Dougherty County Jail, where he later posted bond. Authorities have not yet made his next court date public.
The allegations have raised questions about how Menefee handled the children after deciding they could no longer ride the bus. Although he reportedly cited their behavior as the reason for removing them, police say he acknowledged that he should have waited for a relative to arrive.
