A Novi school bus driver was suspended for five days after he took an afternoon off to escort the family of a fallen Marine and Afghan war veteran to the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly last month.
Brian Henninge, who drives a school bus for Novi Community Schools and also drives for a private company, wanted to join the nearly 100 Patriot Guard Riders, American Legion Riders and veterans from across the country who attended the funeral for Jordan Czapski, a 2008 Novi High School graduate.
The school said no, according to a report in the Observer & Eccentric, but Henninge took the afternoon off anyway. He is a friend of Czapski’s mother and wanted to drive her and other family members to the cemetery in a Hummer limousine donated by his other employer so they could all be together for the 30-mile trip from Novi to the cemetery.
It was the “right thing,” Henninge said.
“The Lord put it on my heart to do something for them after I learned of the death, which made my heart sink,” Henninge said. “I felt compelled to help.”
He received the five-day suspension two days after the funeral, but told the newspaper the school district, where he has worked in the transportation department for three years, didn’t give him a reason.
He said it’s “mind bloggling” that the school couldn’t find a substitute driver for the afternoon route.
“What if someone was sick or even worse, could they have found someone then?” he said.
The school district won’t talk about the matter because it’s a personnel issue, but a member of Czapski’s family found the suspension unreasonable
Bob Zukowski, Czapski’s uncle, said he hadn’t met Henninge before the funeral, but the family was grateful for the gesture and believes he should have been honored instead of suspended, and should at least get his back pay.