BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Tom Young, a former Broken Arrow Public Schools bus driver, spent a week in jail for accused kidnapping before the District Attorney dropped charges.
2 News spoke with him almost a month after his arrest. Young said he wants another job as a bus driver and is actually thankful for the incident.
"I just don’t want to forget the event because I don’t wanna forget about kind of why I was in there to be humbled," Young said.
WATCH about the incident that led to Young's arrest:
Tom Young is out of jail and searching for a job.
He said the entire situation humbled him, but he’s not remorseful.
"Well, I’m humbled, number one, primarily, I’ve got pride, and the humbling is what God’s plan is for my life," he said.
Young says he is a born-again Christian. While he was in jail, he tried to preach the gospel to other inmates. He thinks inmates are shoved aside as second-class citizens and wants to change that narrative.
"What was a horrible situation ... God works that negative thing for good," Young said.
He tried to get his job back with Broken Arrow, but school policy and state statutes prevented that.
A spokesperson for the school district sent us the following.
In this particular case involving a former support employee, the following state statute is in effect:
“§70-6-101.40. Suspension, demotion, termination or non-reemployment for cause of support employee. A support employee who has been employed by a local board of education for more than one (1) year shall be subject to suspension, demotion, termination or non-reemployment only for cause, as designated by the policy of the local board of education, adopted as provided in Section 6-101.43 of this title.”
Mr. Young has only been employed with the district since August. He does not meet the criteria that would make him eligible to appeal his employment status with the district. Had the first criteria been met, the local school board policy would then outline the steps of the appeal process.
"I’m not expecting really anything, but I would like to represent the bus drivers because it could happen to any of them," Young said.
Young said he would only change one thing if he had another chance.
"I don’t think I would’ve done anything different except I would not have raised my voice on the bus," he said.
If BAPS offered him a job today … "I love Broken Arrow public schools. Yeah, I would," he said.
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