NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) — Newport police and Ocean State Transit are investigating an incident that happened Thursday aboard one of the company's school buses. Several parents reached out to 12 News, upset about what allegedly happened on the bus. They forwarded a text message from Pell Elementary School, which said the bus driver pulled over while transporting students to an after-school program at the Boys & Girls Club. "The bus driver pulled the bus over to allow students to calm down," the message read. It went on to say that while the bus was stopped, the monitor "may not have followed appropriate protocols." Parents claimed the bus was stopped for more than 20 minutes, during which the monitor reportedly yelled at the children and grabbed some of their arms. One parent, Adrienne McKenzie, told 12 News she also had trouble getting answers after learning about the incident. "I go up to the bus company to find out exactly what's going on because the kids are saying the driver and the monitor were cursing at them, calling them out of their names, telling them to shut up, and that apparently the bus monitor had put her hands on quite a few of the students," said McKenzie, whose 6-year-old was on the bus. ALSO READ: RIDE decides executive order not necessary for Dattco busing issues Ocean State Transit put out a statement Friday evening acknowledging the incident and saying that both the driver and the monitor have been relieved of their duties with Newport Public Schools. "In our initial findings, it appears the driver and monitor made the decision to pull over to a safe area to mitigate escalating student behavior," the statement said. "This is not uncommon, but did result in an unanticipated delay in the route schedule." "During the incident, the monitor physically intervened and moved students to different seats. While it was minimal interaction, physical contact is against our safety protocols," the statement continued. The statement went on to say that Ocean State Transit believes this was an isolated incident. Newport police confirmed to 12 News they're investigating, but offered no further details. 12 News also reached out to the district for comment, but has not yet received a response. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW