May 23, 2023

Dear Coppell ISD Bus Rider Families,

We have received notification that a Durham Transportation Services bus driver Paul Russo was arrested by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office yesterday (May 22, 2023) for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child involving a CISD student. Durham Transportation Services is a third-party vendor that provides transportation services for Coppell ISD. This individual is not a Coppell ISD employee, rather he is a Durham Transportation Services employee. 

Allegations and charges of this nature are alarming and are intolerable. The district takes these matters very seriously and is committed to student safety as its top priority. Once the district was notified, we took immediate action, and Durham Transportation Services placed the driver on leave. This bus driver is no longer driving for Durham Transportation Services and is prohibited from all Coppell ISD campuses and facilities. Coppell ISD and Durham Transportation are cooperating with law enforcement and Child Protective Services with this active investigation. 

Our staff is providing counseling and support services for the student and the family involved. Federal privacy laws prohibit us from releasing additional details about this situation. However, I feel it is important to make you aware of what happened, and that we are providing you with all of the information we are permitted to release.  

I join you in being deeply outraged, disturbed and extremely disappointed about these allegations, as we take very seriously any alleged violation of the professional and ethical conduct we expect of Durham bus drivers.

If you have any additional information, or if your child has experienced any concerning behaviors that you believe may be related to this situation, please contact Jennifer Villines, Director of Student and Staff Services at 214-496-6068 or jvillines@coppellisd.com. Bus drivers often drive multiple routes, substitute for other drivers and/or drive for field trips, therefore we encourage parents to speak to their child(ren) about personal safety and report any concerns related to this driver. We have resources available online to help with communicating with your child about this topic. Our counselors also are available for our students to address their concerns or if they need additional support. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Brad Hunt
Superintendent