This article is a follow up from my previous article, Justice For Emmalee Jacobs, which can be found here.

Benjamin Clague, 24, the CyRide bus driver who struck and killed Iowa State student Emmalee Jacobs in December 2015 has just been fired from the Ames transportation company over Thanksgiving break. Clague served a short and highly contested sentence of only 30 days in jail and a small fine, after pleading guilty to failure to report the accident.

After many other charges were dropped in a plea bargain, the accident and it's lack of justice shocked and upset family, friends, and the entire community of Ames and Iowa State alike. Following the incident, Clague was placed on administrative leave and stayed on this until last week, when he was fired. Clague did not work since the accident, but was paid $28,500+ while on this leave.

The discovery of Clague not only still being employed but also still on the payroll of CyRide has simply been felt as one final blow to all in what has been a rough year. Emmalee's father, Brad Jacobs, commented on the situation to KCCI8 News Des Moines: "We didn't even know that he was still employed, and we're kind of very upset and disappointed in CyRide that they said they would keep him as an employee this long and also pay him at the same time," he said.

However, as Ames City Attorney Judy Parks explained, the whole reason any of this happened was a result of union and city rules, which treat all workers the same way. Parks was effective in outlining that this is indeed a process, rather than an event, “Making sure we follow the steps that he was contractually and constitutionally protected by to make sure that when we do take action, we have done everything correctly, and that takes time," she discussed.
If you are interested in reading more about Emmalee, you can do so here.