The English School District will not say if the hiring of a man accused of murder had anything to do with the suspension of Gladney’s busing contract.
Kurt Churchill had been working with Gladney’s Bus Limited since last fall as a new condition of his release on bail while he awaits trial for second-degree murder.
He’s charged in the shooting death of Jamie Coady outside Churchill’s house on Craigmillar Avenue in July of 2020.
School district interim superintendent Terry Hall would not comment on Churchill specifically, sticking to the line that there were several factors that led to the suspension of Gladney’s contract for school busing in the metro region.
Hall says he can’t speak to individual events or people involved, but says there were a number of issues, events and discussions throughout the school year that led to the decision, adding it came down to the overall operation of the company.
Josh Gladney
Company president Josh Gladney, meanwhile, says Churchill was working with the company for the past several months but not in the school bus division—adding he’s no longer with Gladney’s.
He notes there are several facets of the company, including separate snow-clearing and trucking operations, which is where Churchill would’ve worked.
Asked why Churchill is no longer with the company, Gladney said he wasn’t sure but suggested it may have been a seasonal layoff.
Gladney broke his silence on Friday over the loss of the bus contract, saying he remains in the dark about the reasons.
Many of his buses and drivers are now being used by other contractors to fill the gap, although Gladney says he’s yet to be paid for their use.
