Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper Announce Independent Investigation Into School Transportation Safety

Mintz Attorney Natashia Tidwell will lead independent review of safety measures under the Boston Public Schools contract with Transdev, following the death of kindergartener Lens A. Joseph

Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Public Schools (BPS) Superintendent Mary Skipper today announced that Mintz attorney Natashia Tidwell, a former federal prosecutor and police officer, who specializes in external investigations, will lead an independent review of safety policies and performance under the contracts with Transdev, the international transportation company that contracts with BPS to provide transportation services. The decision to initiate an independent review follows the tragic death of Lens A. Joseph, a kindergartener who was struck and killed by his school bus on Monday, April 28. Transdev, which operates transportation services throughout the United States, has been contracted by BPS since 2013 to hire, train, and manage the district’s approximately 750 school bus drivers and maintain and operate the district’s fleet of school buses. The investigation will include a review of existing safety policies and performance, including under the bus driver collective bargaining agreement, and make recommendations to strengthen safety measures. 

“We are heartbroken,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “No family should ever suffer the loss of a child, and the public deserves a full understanding of how this could have happened and what changes are needed. This independent review, separate from the investigation led by BPD and the DA’s office, will closely scrutinize the Transdev contract’s safety policies and performance. We have also asked Attorney Tidwell to deliver recommendations so that this horrible tragedy is never repeated.” 

“We are holding Lens Joseph and his family in our prayers and are doing everything we can to support them during this unthinkable time,” said Superintendent Mary Skipper. “My team and I fully support this independent investigation of safety policies and performance under the Transdev contract. The safety of all of our students is paramount and we will ensure that any findings and recommendations from this investigation are acted on and implemented to strengthen the safety of our transportation system and the services provided by our vendor Transdev.”

The independent review will begin as BPS continues to strengthen safety protocols. Since April 28, BPS has increased the frequency of regular meetings with Transdev safety leadership to a daily cadence to immediately review all crashes and safety incidents and Transdev’s response to each. There are approximately 400 incidents per year involving a BPS school bus, generally one or two per day across the fleet, most of which involve minimal damage. After learning that the driver, Jean Charles, had been operating since December of 2024 with an expired credential required to work as a bus driver, Transdev conducted an immediate audit of all drivers to ensure appropriate and valid credentials, and, out of an abundance of caution, pulled an additional seven drivers off the road until it was determined that their credentials were current. Transdev is also bringing in additional safety staff to accelerate regular refresher training of all drivers on pickup, drop-off, and crash protocols. As part of regular safety meetings, BPS Transportation will now require additional reports from Transdev on licensure, training renewals, and post-crash driver protocols.

On April 28, Transdev immediately placed Charles on leave and moved to terminate his employment. Charles resigned on May 14, prior to his termination hearing. Charles had been employed as a bus driver since May of 2023 and was assigned a regular daily route. Transdev has disclosed that Charles’ driving record over the last two years includes four minor incidents prior to April 28, including two earlier in April 2025, after which Transdev pulled Charles off the road for two days for retraining. These include contact with a parked vehicle (May 22, 2024), contact with another car’s rear tire (December 3, 2024), contact with another car’s bumper (April 9, 2025), and contact with another vehicle’s side mirror (April 14, 2025). 

On April 28, Charles was assigned an additional route as a substitute driver to cover an early release from the Up Academy Dorchester. During the route, Charles hit another vehicle and failed to notify a Transdev safety supervisor, who would have decided whether the driver would complete the route or be replaced, in violation of protocol. Instead, Charles continued on the route without notifying Transdev. Charles missed the turn onto Glenwood Avenue, where Lens Joseph lived, and instead arrived at the intersection with Glenwood Avenue by turning onto Washington Street, where the tragedy occurred. BPS will continue to cooperate fully in the ongoing investigation led by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, with the support of Boston Police Department.