KathleenSebelius

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Chicago area: Some Taxi Drivers With Checkered Pasts Taxi Special-needs Schoolchildren

Posted on 6:04 AM by Unknown
One driver was arrested in 1993 on 19 separate counts of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl over a 15-month period

By Katy Smyser and Phil Rogers | Wednesday, May 8, 2013 | NBC5 Chicago

View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.

[video: Six-month investigation reveals dozens of school taxi drivers have criminal histories, ranging from public indecency and domestic battery, to soliciting a prostitute and even child sexual assault.]

Every day, hundreds of Chicago-area children are transported to school not in cars or buses, but alone with cab drivers, in taxicabs hired by school districts. But a six-month investigation by NBC Chicago has found that dozens of those school taxi drivers have criminal histories, ranging from public indecency and domestic battery, to soliciting a prostitute and even child sexual assault.

NBC 5 Investigates surveyed 73 school districts throughout suburban Chicago, focusing primarily on special education districts and cooperatives, to learn how many use taxicabs to transport their students to and from school. More than half say they do.
The reasons make sense: Special-needs students often have such individualized schedules that it’s not always practical to transport them by bus. Local taxi companies have met that need with special "school service" programs which provide regular taxi service to schools and districts across Chicago. It’s now a multi-million-dollar industry for such suburban cab companies as American Taxi Dispatch and 303 Taxi.
It’s also highly regulated. Not just any cab driver is allowed to transport students, according to Terry Montalbano of the Illinois Secretary of State’s office. He says Illinois’ requirements are among the strictest in the nation.

"Whether it’s a cab or a bus, it doesn’t really matter," he said "The cargo is the same: The children."

Montalbano said any cab driver who transports students must get fingerprinted and have their criminal background checked in all fifty states.

"There’s a multitude of offenses that, if a driver was convicted, we would not allow them to drive a cab or a school bus," he said.
Those offenses can range from violent felony convictions down to an extensive history of traffic citations.

Even after a driver is approved, the Secretary of State receives real-time updates for every cabbie’s criminal and driving records and can cancel or revoke a permit at any time.

In all, NBC Chicago found 66 school cab drivers -- about one out of every 10 drivers on the school lists we examined -- arrested or convicted of such crimes as aggravated battery, possession of a controlled substance, firearms violations, assault, I.D. theft, and mob action. Several had violations of probation or orders of protection.

By law, every school district which uses cabs is supposed to maintain a list of their permitted drivers. But of the 46 suburban districts NBC Chicago found using taxis, fully half admitted, in writing, that they have no idea who is driving their children.

One school driver we do know about is Jean Juste. By all accounts, he never should have been granted a permit to drive school children. But his name appears on the drivers’ lists of eight of the districts surveyed by NBC Chicago.

Jean Juste was arrested in 1993 on 19 separate counts of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl over a 15-month period, starting when she was just 13 years old. In 1994, he was convicted on one count of sexual assault, and certified in Cook County criminal court as a child sex offender. A few years later he was convicted on federal charges of smuggling and selling cocaine.

Yet he was granted a school permit to drive schoolchildren for 303 Taxi, one of the two largest providers of school taxi services in the Chicago suburbs.
NBC Chicago provided Juste’s criminal information to the Secretary of State’s office, which has now launched an investigation into 303’s hiring practices. 303 Taxi declined an on-camera interview and would not answer questions about how Jean Juste became one of their school drivers.

A spokeswoman provided a general written statement, saying, in part: "We have made improvements to our internal controls and procedures for monitoring drivers in this program, and we are confident that our improved process will ensure the safety of all school children above all else."

Another 303 school driver is Laura Mitchell. Ten separate districts listed her as a driver for their children. She was charged in 2008 with repeatedly slamming a Chicago schoolteacher against the wall of her classroom. But she was eventually found guilty of a reduced charge -- misdemeanor battery -- which does not fall under the category of crimes which prohibit a driver from getting a school permit. She currently has a valid permit to drive children.

Like 303, American Taxi Dispatch declined an interview, and did not respond to questions about its school drivers.

At least one school district has stopped using taxis to transport its students. John Hutton, superintendent of Gurnee School District 56, said his district switched to using their own buses, because they didn’t trust who was behind the wheel of the cabs they were using.

"[We were] very concerned about a driver being in there with our children, not knowing anything about them," Hutton said "And the driver doing something that would be horrible for our kids."

"If you’re going to protect kids and you’re going to make sure the kids are as safe as you can make them, that’s a wild card you just don’t like to play," he said.

FOR NBC5 Chicago: http://www.nbcchicago.com/
Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/special-needs-taxis-investigation-206699371.html#ixzz2SndAkPmm
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Posted in | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • PEORIA, IL Event Helps Veterans Find One-Stop Shop Assistance
    PEORIA - Veterans trickled through a room at the Peoria Illinois Department of Employment Security Wednesday getting help on everything from...
  • Chicago Department of Family and Support Services Did Not Always Charge Allowable Costs to the Community Services Block Grant - Recovery Act Program
    as posted at 'Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Summary Under the American Recovery and Rei...
  • U.S. Access Board Releases Proposed Guidelines for Passenger Vessels - submit comments within 90 days
    The U.S. Access Board has released for public comment proposed guidelines for passenger vessels. Developed under the Americans with Disabili...
  • Illinois Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Legislation, will Gov Quinn sign..
    SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn must decide if he will sign a measure allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes a...
  • NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY IS COMING - June 27, 2013
    National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) was first observed on June 27, 2005. This day was established as an annual observance to promote HIV testin...
  • Kenya's mental hospital drugs, confines patients; may have led to the recent escape of 40 patients
    By TOM ODULA ; Associated Press ; May 24, 2013 NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Patients at Kenya's only psychiatric hospital are often confined a...
  • U.S. Labor Regulations likely will aid Vets, Disabled, unions
    By SAM HANANEL Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - With Thomas Perez now confirmed as head of the Labor Department, the agency is expected t...
  • RTA, CTA, PACE, Metra - 2013 Disabled and Senior Free Ride Transit Programs
    Fare Programs Benefit Access Program (Formerly Circuit Ride Free Program) Ventra is Coming... Starting in 2013, the CTA and Pace are transi...
  • Illinois Governor Quinn Addresses “Going Home” Rally; Increasing Community Care & Reducing the Number of Outdated, Expensive Institutions
    Press Release April 10, 2013 Governor Pat Quinn State of Illinois Governor Quinn Addresses “Going Home” Rally Governor’s Rebalancing Initiat...
  • Illinois Murray Developmental Center - temporary restraining halted closing May 2013
    The Associated Press; May 30, 2013 CHICAGO (AP) - A federal judge has agreed to enter a temporary restraining order to halt the movement of...

Blog Archive

  • ▼  2013 (500)
    • ►  September (24)
    • ►  August (106)
    • ►  July (86)
    • ►  June (71)
    • ▼  May (84)
      • ALERT: Anti-hunger advocates in Illinois are warni...
      • EQUIP FOR EQUALITY CALLS FOR ILLINOIS GOV QUINN TO...
      • AAPD’s anti-bullying campaign - Half way there : A...
      • Illinois Murray Developmental Center - temporary r...
      • U.S. Access Board Advisory Committee on Medical Di...
      • State of Illinois 23rd Anniversary ADA Celebraton:...
      • Illinois Council of the Blind ICB Summer Fest Fund...
      • U.S. Access Board Webinar: Accessible Fire Alarm S...
      • Illinois Senate Bill 26 - MEDICAID-HEALTH BENEFITS...
      • Veterans disability benefits backlog : Law schools...
      • Illinois 2013 Veterans benefits guide released by ...
      • Human potential wasted when people merely ‘exist’ ...
      • Tony Paulauski: Consequences to delaying Murray De...
      • Kenya's mental hospital drugs, confines patients; ...
      • Monday, May 27 is Memorial Day, please observe a m...
      • Illinois history of warehousing disabled; Illinois...
      • Chicago arts groups want to help the blind see and...
      • Marijuana tied to better blood sugar control - The...
      • ALERT: Jury Duty Scam Hits Illinois Residents | Ma...
      • Illinois Governor Quinn Honors Achievements in Hir...
      • RTA (Chicago) Seniors and People With Disabilities...
      • Illinois legislation to hire more disabled people...
      • DISABILITY COMMUNITY URGES SWIFT VOTE OF TOM PEREZ...
      • U.S. Access Board Forms Advisory Committee on Rail...
      • The Autistic Brain by Dr Temple Grandin - The Coff...
      • Disaster Distress Helpline Provides Crisis Counsel...
      • Mental Health First Aid Classes - Community Counse...
      • Chevrolet auto dealership apologizes for ‘Short Bu...
      • ILLINOIS ABILITIES: TOPSoccer program gives young ...
      • Chicago Police warn Chicago Transit Authority (CTA...
      • Exercise and Depression - HHS HealthBeat
      • U.S. poor are moving to nation's suburbs - Report ...
      • Nationwide Call to ACTION on the Disability Treaty
      • Support The Arc and Receive a Great Magazine
      • ALERT: UPDATED : STOP Efforts to Warehouse Illinoi...
      • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disord...
      • GREATER ILLINOIS CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL MULTIPLE ...
      • Onward and Upward By Guest Blogger, Stephen Wample...
      • Harris Bank (Chicago) to Pay $400,000 to Resolve E...
      • Illinois Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Legislati...
      • EEOC Issues Revised Publications on the Employment...
      • Camp Little Giant 2013 registration is under way; ...
      • Advocates For Disabled Fight Illinois Special Ed R...
      • Abilities Expo - Chicago - June 28-30, 2013 : Peop...
      • Chicago Loop : Elderly man robbed at CTA Blue Line...
      • Twenty-Four Charged as Part of Nationwide Coordin...
      • Illinois Gov Quinn signs The Employment First Act ...
      • Illinois 'Caregiver's' Union asks for higher wage...
      • Paratransit and/or Dial-A-Ride Travel & People wit...
      • Chicago Mass public school closures spark civil ri...
      • Seeing-Eye Cat assists mans best (visually impaire...
      • ALERT: Help protect inclusion and supports for stu...
      • Anti-Bullying Campaign 2013 - American Association...
      • Vietnam veteran's still battling : getting disabil...
      • Illinois : New online map tracks uninsured
      • The Rich hire Disabled tour guides so there kids c...
      • Examining the Accessibility of Overseas Facilities...
      • Social Audio Sharing Website for Visually Impaired
      • Closed-Captioning Glasses Help Deaf Go Out To The ...
      • ALERT Help Stop SB 45 in Illinois - People with D...
      • Chicagoan Michael Jones Refuses to Let Disability ...
      • Illinois Lt. Gov supports medical marijuana
      • Governor Quinn Announces $10 Million for Community...
      • New group helps young people with disabilities nav...
      • The Sparkle Effect helps students create cheerlead...
      • Chicago area: Some Taxi Drivers With Checkered Pa...
      • Children with mental health disabilities, Signific...
      • Opinions : Google car could help the blind in Chicago
      • Hike fines for bicyclists who break traffic laws -...
      • ALERT: Con artists impersonating ComEd workers - M...
      • New Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), Complaint Fo...
      • Chicago parents defend CHSAS at ISBE meeting; chil...
      • Action Alert: Prevent Source of Income Discriminat...
      • Chicago's 45th Annual Special Olympics Spring Game...
      • Taste of Chicago July 10 to 14, 2013 - Accessibili...
      • Comments on the U.S. Access Board’s Guidelines for...
      • Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Seeks Two New Memb...
      • Disabled Sports USA & Great Lakes Regional Games &...
      • 2013 'The Case for Inclusion' Report - Intellectua...
      • Jury Awards $240 Million for Long-Term Abuse of Wo...
      • HUD Reminds Housing Providers of Obligation to All...
      • NYC SEEING-EYE HUMANS FOR WALKING TEXTERS : video ...
      • Preparing for an IEP meeting
      • U.S. Senators disturbed over VA disability claim b...
    • ►  April (58)
    • ►  March (71)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile