SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Out of the thousands of stories Port City Daily publishes annually, one stands above the rest when looking at analytics for 2024.
READ MORE: The other top nine stories read in 2024
And that story went live in August at the start of a new school year. A beloved basketball coach and school bus driver was fired in Pender County, with parents starting a petition for him to be rehired.
After a decade with the school system, 53-year-old Melvin London was dismissed from Topsail High School after London refused to drive a bus he said has frequent mechanical problems. London told Port City Daily at the time that Superintendent Brad Breedlove fired him on a call when London would not drive bus 251.
London said he had driven the bus before and experienced numerous issues with it. Pender County Schools noted it was safe to drive. Nevertheless, he agreed to drive 251 for the first week of school if he could be moved back to 286 after Labor Day; staff would not agree.
“I said [to Breedlove] I’m more than a basketball coach and a bus driver to the community,” London told Port City Daily at the time.
Pender County Schools upheld the firing, releasing the termination letter the day after PCD’s story went live. Breedlove said the employee’s disregard for his assigned duties means he “cannot carry out the essential functions” required of the job and cited two policies, 7440 Assignments/Reassignments/Transfers and 7300 Staff Responsibilities, in his reasoning.
Parents rallied behind London, with a petition garnering more than 1,500 signatures to rehire him.
Parent Melody Rouse told PCD London is one of the most influential coaches in this community, noting he owns a business —a barber shop — next to her and ran the recreational football league her son played in.
“He poured his heart and soul into those football players,” Rouse said. “If a child wanted to play football, but couldn’t afford it, he did not let financial circumstances be a barrier. He is kind and has a selfless heart and I would imagine that this firing was not a fair decision on his behalf.”
Read the full piece below and the followups to it.
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