We, the undersigned parents, guardians, and community members of Wilmington School District, are calling on our Board of Education to immediately suspend the newly awarded student transportation contract with Yellow Bus Group of America and take urgent action to protect the safety and wellbeing of our children.

Without any community input or advance notice to parents, our school district chose not to renew its contract with Illinois Central School Bus, a company that has served our children safely and reliably for years and instead awarded the contract to Yellow Bus Group of America. In doing so, the district is eliminating drivers our children know and trust, replacing them with outside hires who have no connection to our kids, our roads, or our community.
This decision was made without what appears to be any meaningful background investigation into the new company’s owner. Information that was available through a basic internet search was apparently never reviewed or if it was, it was ignored.

Who We Are Concerned About
Public records reveal deeply troubling information about the owner of Yellow Bus Group of America:
Federal Court Record: There is an active federal civil case on public record; Vince v. Illinois Central School Bus, LLC, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Memorandum Opinion and Order filed February 9, 2011, in which this individual was named in allegations of repeated sexual harassment and misconduct against a female coworker. Those allegations include:
    •    A 2004 incident in which the plaintiff was pushed against a window, subjected to an attempted unwanted kiss, and touched without her consent at the company’s Mazon, Illinois office
    •    An ongoing pattern of sexual innuendo, explicit verbal remarks, and repeated unwanted physical contact including touching of the plaintiff’s thighs, arms, and shoulders
    •    A 2007 business trip to Minnesota during which the plaintiff was forced to attend a strip club against her wishes, and was then physically assaulted in a taxi
    •    Testimony from the plaintiff that the behavior was so frequent and relentless that she became numb to it
These are not rumors. These are federal court records, public documents available to anyone who looks.
Financial Instability: Public records also show a history of financial instability, including bankruptcy filings. A company responsible for transporting our children must be financially sound enough to maintain a safe fleet, carry proper insurance, and fulfill its contractual obligations. This track record raises serious doubts about whether that standard can be met.
Character and Conduct: Beyond the court record, former coworkers and employees of this individual have characterized him as someone who is not good to work for or with. A person’s treatment of the people around them speaks directly to their character and character matters when we are talking about who has access to our children every single day.

What We Are Asking
We are calling on the Board of Education to take the following actions:
    1.    Immediately suspend the transportation contract with Yellow Bus Group of America pending a full and transparent review
    2.    Reinstate Illinois Central School Bus whose drivers have a proven, trusted record of safely serving our students and community
    3.    Launch a formal investigation into how this contract was awarded without identification of the owner’s federal court record, financial history, and reputation, and whether proper procurement procedures were followed
    4.    Hold the Superintendent accountable for this oversight. The safety of our students is the district’s most fundamental responsibility. A failure of this magnitude demands a formal review of the Superintendent’s judgment and fitness for continued service
    5.    Commit to transparency by providing the community with a full written accounting of the vetting process used before this contract was signed
Why This Matters
Our children spend time on school buses every single day. They are buckled in, in the care of this company, with no ability to protect themselves. We are not asking for anything unreasonable. We are asking our school board to do what any parent would do in five minutes, look this person up, and then do the right thing with what they find.
If saving money was the reason this contract was awarded, we want that stated publicly. Because this community’s answer is clear: no dollar amount is worth the safety of our children.
We will not be silent. We will be at every board meeting. We will make every phone call. And we will hold every elected official on this board accountable at the ballot box.
Sign below to demand better for our kids