SUSD Board member blasts transportation firm

Jun. 19—According to Hop Skip Drive's website, "We're setting the bar above and beyond for safe youth transportation solutions."

But during the June 11 Scottsdale Unified School District meeting, board member Carine Werner lambasted a request to continue using the contracted transportation company.

After Michelle McCombs, Hop Skip Drive's vice president of safety, gave a presentation emphasizing how her company has provided more than 20,000 "safe rides" for SUSD students with a 95% on time arrival rate, Werner exploded.

Saying she had a police report to back it up, Werner graphically described how a Hop Skip Drive employee allegedly sexually assaulted a special needs student in April.

Arrested April 17, Benjamin Muritala has been accused of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Mocking McCombs for "a dog and pony show," Werner said the district was ignoring "this giant elephant in this room. We have failed one of our most vulnerable students."

McCombs did not dispute Werner's description of the alleged crime.

"I agree, it's horrible," McCombs said.

"It's disgusting what happened," she added.

"There are bad people out there and we work really hard to keep them off of our platform," the Hop Skip Drive representative stated. "It is so important that these vulnerable kids have safe access to transportation."

Werner also accused Superintendent Scott Menzel of not running the transportation department safely.

"You're failing," Werner shot out at Menzel.

Werner made her remarks during a "SUSD Transportation and Contracted Services Update including Special Education" presentation by Shannon Crosier, the district's chief financial officer.

Menzel said contracted companies are needed due to a shortage of district bus drivers — a problem across the state and country. "We're going to work to hire more drivers," Menzel said.

Werner added that long before the alleged April crime, she raised concerns about previous Hop Skip Drive incidents.

Board member Amy Carney emotionally seconded Werner's concerns.

"We discussed our apprehension with continuing with Hop Skip Drive a year ago," Carney said. "I'm very disappointed we haven't figured out how we're going to fill this gap."

Crosier said the district has been looking for solutions for over a year — particularly since one vendor (Comtrans) is going out of business.

"There's not much out there for van service," Crosier added. "We're competing with every other district in the Valley."

An emotional Carney said, "This is real. Our priority must be protecting our most vulnerable students."

She called the request of $650,000 to fund Hop Skip Drive "inexcusable."

Ultimately, the request to continue funding Hop Skip Drive for a year failed, with Carney and Werner voting against the request. Libby Hart-Wells and Julie Cieniawski voted for the measure.

The fifth board member, Zach Lindsay, was not present.

Saying she recognized there were few immediate options, Carney made a motion to approve Hop Skip Drive funding on a monthly basis with a six-month maximum.

That motion passed, 3-1, with Werner voting against.

The morning after the four-hour meeting, Werner was still disappointed about Menzel's leadership.

"He did not do anything to solve the transportation problem since I asked him to in May 2023," Werner said. "When I asked what he has personally done to help solve the problem, his response was 'I supported the team.'"

According to the arrest report, a Phoenix police officer responded to an April 16 call regarding "a 16 year old female who stated her transportation driver from school to her group home touched her inappropriately."

Police looked at Muritala's phone and found multiple videos of naked girls. The 35-year-old Hop Skip Drive driver, a Mesa resident, "denied ever touching the victim," according to the police report.

Asked by the Progress to comment on the alleged sexual abuse, the district provided a statement:

"In light of the challenges in recruiting school bus drivers, the Scottsdale Unified School District, like many other districts, has engaged third-party vendors to assist in transporting students to whom we have a legal obligation to provide transportation. Hop Skip Drive is one of three transportation providers currently contracted.

"Recently, the district was made aware of allegations leveled against a driver employed by Hop Skip Drive. The allegations are absolutely abhorrent. No one should ever be subjected to the behavior/conduct that is being alleged. SUSD takes these allegations with the utmost seriousness and is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Phoenix Police Department.

"Simultaneously, we are conducting a thorough review of the processes that Hop Skip Drive has in place to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. We have been assured that background checks are a standard practice for all of its drivers, along with fingerprinting. We are working closely with Hop Skip Drive to identify any additional measures that can be implemented to protect our students.

"The safety and security of our students remains a top priority and the district will continue to cooperate with the investigation."

A pre-trial conference for Muritala is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, June 17. A trial for the Hop Skip Drive employee is scheduled for Aug. 28.