In April ABC15 broke the news of a rideshare driver for school children being charged with sexual abuse of a teenage rider.
In the aftermath of that reporting, parent Patricia Pellett reached out to ABC15 about her child’s experience in a HopSkipDrive car in 2023.
“A HopSkipDrive driver reached out to me. She was a frequent driver for my boy,” Pellett said. “She told me that my boy had been being abused for months while in the backseat of the car by another passenger.”
Pellett said her child was being kicked, hit, and having his hair pulled by another rider.
Pellett obtained emails showing HopSkipDrive contacted Scottsdale Unified School District on January 30, February 15, and February 17 of 2023 about the abuse, but Pellett said she did not learn about the incidents until the driver told her in March.
HopSkipDrive sent the following statement to ABC15:
"This report of a student hitting or hurting another student last year is troubling and completely unacceptable. Because safety is everything to HopSkipDrive, we take seriously any incidents of any form, and promptly communicate with our partners, as we did here. We work to support our district partners as they make student transportation decisions while we continue to prioritize the safety of our community."
Pellett said she reached out to SUSD in March once she learned of the incidents, but the district told her they were not aware of the incident. SUSD says the person HopSkipDrive reported the incidents to was out of the office and did not see the emails. The district says after learning about the missed emails, they altered their system.
SUSD telling ABC15 in a statement:
“Ensuring the safety and well-being of all students is paramount to SUSD.
This incident was addressed more than a year ago.
The individual employee who Hop Skip Drive emailed in January and February 2023 was out of the office.
We recognize the urgency of addressing such issues promptly and took immediate steps to prevent any future delays in our response.
Upon learning of the situation in March 2023, our system was updated so that multiple people receive Hop Skip Drive emails to ensure no communication goes unanswered and incidents are addressed without delay.
It is our expectation that if Hop Skip Drive becomes aware of an issue that the driver will document the incident and report it to their supervisor, who then notifies the district immediately. SUSD then contacts the parents, responding swiftly and appropriately to ensure the safety and well-being of the students involved.
We are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all students.”
Pellett is no stranger to disputes with public schools. She says she's worked in the past to recall board members and is now the face of a lawsuit backed by Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne against dual language programs.
“I have been fighting for kids since I was a child,” Pellett said. “My story is out there. I come from a horrible home myself. And that's why I have such a passion for children, especially vulnerable children. And that's why I'm a fighter.”
