Pride Transportation Services, a school bus company with a concerning history of safety lapses, is now under severe scrutiny and could face potential shutdown due to alleged violations of labor laws. This development follows a series of incidents and investigations that have cast a shadow over the company’s operations and commitment to safety.
Last year, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS initiated an investigation into Pride Transportation Services after a distressing incident where a bus carrying elementary school students went missing for several hours in Brooklyn Park. Local police reported that Pride Transportation was uncooperative and unresponsive when questioned about the whereabouts of the bus and the children on board, raising immediate concerns about their operational protocols and emergency response.
Subsequent reports obtained by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS unveiled a pattern of negligence, indicating that Pride Transportation Services had been operating buses with significant safety deficiencies. These included critical issues such as malfunctioning brakes and broken emergency doors, putting both drivers and student passengers at risk. The latest revelation is that the company is now facing substantial fines, potentially reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars, for allegedly operating illegally without providing workers’ compensation coverage for its employees.
The issue of workers’ compensation came to light following an incident in Roseville in late January. Bus driver Annette Wilson was involved in a rear-end collision while on duty. When Wilson contacted Pride Transportation Services to inquire about workers’ compensation coverage for her back injuries sustained in the accident, she was allegedly met with an unsettling proposition. According to Wilson, Pride Transportation offered her a mere $1,000 in cash, an under-the-table offer that would have been woefully inadequate to cover her medical expenses.
Further investigation by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS into the records of the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) revealed a startling lapse in compliance. Pride Transportation Services had reportedly been operating without workers’ compensation insurance for a period exceeding three years. State records indicate that the company only secured workers’ compensation coverage on February 6th, and notably, this was after Annette Wilson had contacted 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS about her predicament.
The DLI has officially confirmed that Pride Transportation Services was uninsured for workers’ compensation from January 12, 2017, until February 6, 2020. While there was a brief period of coverage from August 30, 2016, to August 30, 2017, the plan was abruptly canceled by the company on January 11, 2017.
Following inquiries made to staff at Pride Transportation Services’ Maple Grove location, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to the company’s legal representatives for an official statement. Attorney Daniel L.M. Kennedy responded via email, stating that Pride Transportation Services is now “fully compliant” and is actively “working to learn more about past compliance.”
Despite these assurances of current compliance, this is not the first instance of Pride Transportation Services encountering regulatory trouble since its inception in 2016. In September of the previous year, 5 INVESTIGATES uncovered that the company held one of the most alarming safety records in the state of Minnesota. This included a significant number of failed vehicle inspections, raising serious questions about the maintenance and safety standards upheld by Pride Transportation Services.
Annette Wilson, who is no longer employed by the company, expressed her dismay, stating, “I’ve never seen a school bus company like this before,” highlighting the exceptional nature of the issues she encountered at Pride Transportation Services.
Now, Pride Transportation Services potentially faces substantial financial penalties for each week it operated with uninsured drivers like Wilson. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS sought clarification from DLI Commissioner Nancy Leppink regarding any possible exemptions for a school bus company carrying students and employing drivers to operate without workers’ compensation.
Commissioner Leppink firmly stated, “I don’t believe so… I think that they would be the classic type of employer that would need to have workers’ compensation coverage.” While Leppink could not confirm whether Pride Transportation Services was currently under investigation, she affirmed that the agency initiates investigations whenever employee complaints are filed.
Wilson confirmed that she has filed a formal complaint, which has been forwarded to the DLI’s “special compensation fund.” This fund is designed to provide assistance to injured workers whose employers fail to provide the legally mandated insurance coverage. Employees are required to apply to this fund to receive benefits for work-related injuries.
Commissioner Leppink emphasized that the DLI endeavors to monitor new companies and disseminate information regarding labor laws. She noted a concerning trend: “When we find an employer who’s not complied with the workers’ compensation laws, very often they have not complied with other laws like occupational safety and health, unemployment insurance, like minimum wage and overtime.” This widespread non-compliance, Leppink explained, not only poses significant risks but also creates an unfair competitive environment, disadvantaging law-abiding employers who adhere to regulations.
