VALPARAISO | The trial has been delayed a couple months for the Portage school bus driver accused of failing to stop three boys from terrorizing fellow female students on the bus.

The trial involving 68-year-old Terry Burch, which had been scheduled for Sept. 9, was delayed until Nov. 16 at the request of defense attorney Gregory Sarkisian.

Sarkisian said he needed the extra time to take depositions or statements from potential witnesses, as well as read through transcripts of the hearings that have taken place on a request by prosecutors to waive the three boys from juvenile to adult court.

Attorney Christina Maas, who was sitting in Tuesday for Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper, also granted Sarkisian's request to release a portion of Burch's cash bond to cover the cost of the depositions.

Maas released $1,000 from the bond.

Burch has pleaded not guilty to a felony count of child neglect.

Burch was fired from his job as a bus driver for the Portage schools and was charged in February after Portage police said he failed to act as boys on his bus repeatedly groped girls, started fires and committed other abusive acts during much of the school year.

The boys accused of the acts also were criminally charged in February and the decision on whether they will be waived to adult court is expected soon.