The Clark County School District (CCSD) is set to discuss a possible $9 million payout settlement during their upcoming board meeting on Thursday. The issue to be discussed involves a lawsuit against Michael Banco, a convicted sex offender who had worked as a bus driver for the school district for about 20 years.
Banco was arrested in 2015 after being caught on a surveillance camera sexually abusing students on a bus. He was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison. The lawsuit, which was filed in 2018, alleges that the school district failed to protect students from Banco’s abuse.
The $9 million settlement is the second of its kind approved by CCSD, with the first being approved in February 2022. The settlement will be paid out to the victims of Banco’s abuse and their families.
In addition to the $9 million settlement, CCSD board members approved a $5.45 million payout to JJ Wahrer, a student and his family, on March 9, 2023. Wahrer was hit with a stick by his teacher, Melody Carter, in 2018. The incident left Wahrer with a concussion and other injuries, and he suffered from ongoing trauma as a result.
The settlement in the Wahrer case is meant to compensate the student and his family for the harm they suffered as a result of the incident. The settlement will also help to ensure that CCSD takes the necessary steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
While the settlements may provide some measure of closure for the victims and their families, they also highlight the need for schools to do more to protect their students. As the discussion of the $9 million settlement proceeds, it is important for CCSD to consider how they can improve their policies and procedures to prevent abuse and ensure that students are safe and protected while at school.
