A part-time bus driver for Yadkin County Public Schools has been charged by authorities with assault with a deadly weapon and intent to kill.

Steven Gray Phillips

Steven Gray Phillips, age 35,  is charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill.

According to the Yadkin County Sheriffs Office, a report was made on March 18th that Phillips had allegedly fired a shot at someone at or near Phillips’ home. The investigation is still on-going.

A $25,000 unsecured bond was issued to Phillips, who has been released and has his next court date on March 27.

According to Chris Lyon, executive director for human resources at Yadkin County Schools, Phillips called the district about the charges against him.

“A background check was completed on Mr. Phillips pursuant to Yadkin County Schools Board policy,” the Lyon said in a statement. “Upon notification of the alleged incident, Mr. Phillips has been suspended from his job duties with Yadkin County Schools pending an investigation by law enforcement personnel.”

Phillips was hired in 2018 to drive a bus for Courtney Elementary School according to Yadkin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Todd Martin.

“Mr. Phillips is presently the subject of criminal charges filed by the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Department relating to alleged misconduct. It is our understanding that the alleged conduct had nothing to do with the school or school district,” said Dr. Martin in a statement.

Last October, Yadkin County Schools had a similar brush with a ‘volunteer wrestling coach.

Russell Paul O’Donnell was charged with 5 felony counts of Statutory Rape of a Child who is 15 years of age or younger, 1 felony count of Crime Against Nature, and 1 felony count of Sexual Activity with a Student.

O’Donnell was described by school officials as a “non-employee” and a “volunteer” wrestling coach at Starmount High School from Fall 2014 through 2017 and he had also coached girl’s soccer.

According to the Yadkin Ripple, a civil suit has been filed against the Yadkin Board of Education as well as O’Donnell and his wife:

Court documents filed in the civil case allege that O’Donnell “raped, manipulated, threatened, physically tortured and abused, and mentally tortured and abused” the student and engaged in these acts both on and off school property for a period of time between November 2017 and May 2018.

According to documents filed in the civil suit, Yadkin County Schools failed to properly screen O’Donnell prior to allowing him to serve as a volunteer coach who would be working directly with students. The document also alleges that head coach David Oliver was informed of inappropriate contact between O’Donnell and the student and did nothing to report or investigate the claim. The accusation did not come to light until the student told a counselor who was not employed with the school system.

The criminal case against O’Donnell is still in process.