THOUGHT LEADER
Sexual Assault on School Transportation Vehicles:
A Call for Action Written by Linda F. Bluth, Ed.D.
R
ecently, I took inventory of the number of school transportation cases in which I have served as an expert witness, beginning in 1993, for both plaintiff and defense attorneys. An
overwhelming and tragic theme that caught my atten- tion was seen in my first expert witness case over 33 years ago and my most recent expert witness case last year. Both concerned sexual assaults that occurred on school transportation vehicles. My first expert witness case involved the sexual as-
sault of a student with disabilities by a substitute school bus driver, and my most recent case involved the sexual assault of an intellectually disabled student by an emo- tionally disabled student on a school bus. I reflected on why I have been so reluctant to write about sexual assault on school transportation vehicles, despite my knowledge about this area of school transportation. Frankly speaking, it is difficult, awkward and unpleasant to speak about this topic. However, it is necessary to do so. My expert witness work over three decades covers
unwanted, forced, non-consensual sexual assaults committed on school transportation vehicles. These sexual assaults have been performed by transportation personnel including full-time and substitute drivers and attendants as well as students on students. The victims have included young children and school-age students with disabilities transported on the same vehicle serving regular and special education students, transportation vehicles serving exclusively students with disabilities, taxi’s transporting one or more special needs students to and from school, high school students with disabilities utilizing mass transit buses, alternative school transpor- tation vehicles, extracurricular school activity vehicles, and school-sponsored field trip transportation vehicles. Strikingly, it is evident that school transportation is
not exempt from sexual assault. It is no secret that sexual assault too often leads to life-long devastating conse- quences both physically and psychologically for child victims. It is essential that school transportation industry leadership and interdisciplinary colleagues collaboratively address preventing sexual assault on school transporta- tion vehicles. A comprehensive review of the literature on sexual assault occurring on school transportation vehicles is unavailable. However, there is literature and resource documents addressing significant increases in sexual assault in school settings in recent years.
44 School Transportation News • JANUARY 2026 Ongoing and frequent media coverage regarding sexu-
al assault on school transportation vehicles is inescapable. From my perspective, this critical and disturbing issue is not sufficiently spoken about or attended to promptly. For victims of sexual assault on school transportation vehi- cles, every second makes a difference. Preventing sexual assault from occurring in school transportation vehicles demands urgently enhanc- ing awareness about sexual assault as a part of school transportation personnel training. Focused sexual assault training should occur prior to new employees transporting students and on a regularly scheduled basis thereafter. Too often school districts mistakenly assume if drivers and/or attendants have undergone a criminal background check, mandated under federal and state law, this level of scrutiny will prevent sexual assault from taking place on a school transportation vehicle. This as- sumption is not convincingly valid based on numerous cases in which I have served as an expert witness. From my experience, some observable things that
are making a difference in preventing sexual assault on school transportation vehicles include: Establishing in writing, disseminating and instructing
all transportation personnel regarding approved school board policies and procedures that define and address sexual assault on school transportation vehicles. Establishing and disseminating age-appropriate clear
student communication about what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior on school transportation vehi- cles, specifically addressing bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault. Prior to dissemination, this informa- tion should be approved by the school board and then disseminated. It is imperative to fully understand the ability and limitations of all students to understand this information. This requires establishing realistic expecta- tions for children with disabilities, including limitations to comprehend inappropriate sexual behavior based upon individual disabilities. Unequivocally, appropriate levels of supervision on all school transportation ve- hicles are not an option but a necessity, especially for protecting children with disabilities. Utilizing surveillance cameras on school transporta-
tion vehicles to monitor any suspected inappropriate sexual behavior and/or potential sexual assaults. This should take place on a scheduled basis. Surveillance cameras can serve as an invaluable preventive measure.
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