GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County high school bus driver is facing multiple felony charges of child molestation and sexual battery after "inappropriate contact" with students on the bus.
Jayson Lyons was arrested last week and is now facing two counts of felony child molestation and three counts of felony sexual battery against a child under the age of 16, according to jail records. He was released on a roughly $34,000 bond on Sunday morning.
Lyons worked driving buses for Lanier High School. The district said he was immediately pulled off his route when they were alerted to accusations against him on Oct. 17 and he resigned three days later. A substitute driver is currently working the route.
Lanier Principal Dr. Christopher Martin issued a letter to parents and the school community last week which said the arrest had been tied to "inappropriate contact with several students on the bus."
"Because this is an open criminal investigation and out of respect for the students' privacy, I cannot share any further information," the principal said, noting that the school "acted swiftly to investigate and address this situation" when it was first reported.
"As soon as we were made aware of the allegations, we immediately contacted school police and the district’s Human Resources Division," Dr. Martin said.
The full message can be read below the photo:
Dear Lanier High School families,
Clear and transparent two-way communication is a core value at Lanier HS. We are committed to keeping each and every family updated about important developments at our school. With that in mind, I wanted to inform you of a situation we are dealing with at our school.
The driver of your student’s school bus has been arrested for inappropriate contact with several students on the bus. Because this is an open criminal investigation and out of respect for the students' privacy, I cannot share any further information.
I want to reassure you we acted swiftly to investigate and address this situation. As soon as we were made aware of the allegations, we immediately contacted school police and the district’s Human Resources Division.
I want to reassure you our students are in good hands. A substitute bus driver has taken over your child’s bus route and will remain in place until a permanent replacement is found.
As your principal, I am committed to our work to foster a safe and positive school environment and encourage our students, parents, and community to come to me when you have concerns.
As always, I thank you for your continued support.
According to court records, Lyons had a first appearance hearing scheduled for Saturday morning.