09-05-2025
Cheshire officials address misleading Facebook post regarding school bus incident
CHESHIRE, Mass. (WWLP) – A Facebook post led to an investigation into allegations that Cheshire Highway vehicles passed a school bus, which was later determined to be false and caused unjustified distress among town employees.
In a statement provided by the Town of Cheshire, Board of Selectmen member Michelle Francesconi saw a post on the town's neighborhood watch Facebook group stating that, on Wednesday, allegedly, vehicles for the highway department passed a school bus that was picking up children with its lights flashing. Francesconi reported this post to the Director of the Cheshire Department of Public Works, Corey McGrath, who began an investigation.
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The Highway Department workers who were working on grading a portion of Notch Road were interviewed and stated that two construction vehicles, a grader and roller, were traveling on Notch Road in front of the school bus. McGrath then contacted Dufour Bus Company and spoke with Director of Safety and Training David Sookey III, who stated that he had not received any reports of an incident of a school bus being passed at any time.
'It is disappointing that social media was sued as the sole means of 'reporting' what could have been a serious incident. The Town of Cheshire would take such a report very seriously and would not tolerate such a blatant disregard for the safety of members of the public, most especially children. In this case, the social media report was fake and caused unjustified distress and angst among the workers of the Cheshire Highway Department. Both are highly dedicated to the safety, health, and wellbeing of our townspeople and the community. Both have dedicated and risked their lives to ensuring the public is protected and cared for. An allegation such as the one made was damaging to the reputation and character of some of the most upstanding citizens our community is blessed to have,' a statement from the Board of Selectmen's Office.
Officials are urging residents to contact their office to report any incidents involving town employees by calling 413-743-1690 or emailing admin@
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