Indiana school bus driver caught on video allegedly allowing kids as young as 11 to drive her vehicle

A northwest Indiana school bus driver has been arrested after she allegedly let three students, ages 11, 13 and 17, drive her vehicle, according to police. The incident was caught on video and posted on Twitter.

According to a police statement, Joandrea McAtee, 27, let the children drive her bus Thursday as she dropped students off after school in Valparaiso, a small city about 50 miles southeast of Chicago.

McAtee, of nearby Portage, was arrested Friday after the Porter Township Schools Administration and the Porter County Sheriff's Office investigated a parent's complaint, the Northwest Indiana Times reported.

Chief Deputy Jeff Biggs said in a news release that three students took turns driving a short distance in a rural area of Valparaiso.

McAtee was arrested when she went to the Porter Township Bus Barn to pick up her paycheck, according to the news release. She is facing charges of neglect of a dependent, a felony, and was fired by Porter Township and the bus service provider.

"The Porter Township School Corporation is angered and disappointed in the actions of this driver," Stacey Schmidt, the Porter Township School Corporation superintendent, said in an email to the paper. "The safety of our students is a top priority."

"This individual’s actions are not reflective of the hard work, dedication, and professionalism of our staff," Schmidt added. "We are thankful for the students and parents who came forward quickly with this information to both PTSC administration and law enforcement allowing us to respond expediently and take the proper steps to insure student safety."

The news release did not say if McAtee was still in custody or any bond amount had been set for her.  

“The students and parents that immediately came forward with this information should be commended for doing exactly what we teach, which is see something, say something,” Sheriff David Reynolds told the Northwest Indiana Post-Tribune.