COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Ohio Civil Rights Commission is investigating a transportation company that buses Columbus City Schools students after an employee accused managers of misconduct.
Universal Transportation Systems has provided transportation for some Columbus school routes since 2022. Now, a UTS employee has accused the managers of those routes of retaliation and intimidation, contributing to driver shortages.
Lou Bond has been a school bus driver for six years and said he has been employed with UTS since February 2023. He said he filed two discrimination claims with the Civil Rights Commission alleging the site manager creates a hostile work environment by threatening and harassing employees.
According to UTS documents obtained by NBC4, the company opened an investigation into the allegations. The concerns have also been under investigation by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission since Nov. 6, according to a letter sent to Bond and provided to NBC4.
Bond said he is not the only person with concerns, and he alleged UTS loses many qualified drivers due to these managers. Bond alleged the site manager even misled upper management about the number of drivers available in August to maintain the contract with CCS.
According to Bond, UTS is supposed to have 100 drivers minimum for the school year but began the year with fewer than 60. He said UTS currently has around 75 drivers, but turnover is high.
"The drivers they hire typically only last a few weeks to a month before being forced out of the door for various reasons," Bond said.
According to the contract, the transportation service is contracted to cover 75 routes. A school district representative said UTS currently covers around 60.
Bond filed his concerns after no longer feeling able to work due to the conditions. Bond alleges on Oct. 29, a discussion with the site manager escalated when he disagreed with her accusations about an oversight and voiced concerns about a new procedure. He said the manager told him not to return until she called, but after voicing his concerns with higher management, he was told to return.
The next day, Bond said he returned to work and was summoned by his manager to speak about the subject again. Bond said he declined, requesting to wait until someone higher up in management could mediate, as he had been instructed to return.
Bond alleges she then demanded he turn in his badge and work vest and leave, telling the higher-up manager it was either Bond or herself. She allegedly stormed off the premises, and Bond said the confrontations occurred in front of other employees and even while on the phone with a school official about a route issue.
When he attempted to work the next day, he said he faced similar treatment from another manager until he eventually went home. He alleges his manager told him and his co-workers that he was under investigation, despite no formal notice or write up.
“At this point, I can't complete a full work shift without being threatened in regard to my presence on the job site,” Bond said. “I'm a man who isn't allowed to react, and my back is now against the wall.”
He said he has not been able to work since Oct. 31 due to the alleged harassment and ongoing investigation, leading to a loss of pay, distress and uncertainty about his employment.
This is not the first time UTS has faced complications. It was sued by another employee in 2018 over allegations of not paying employees fairly. In 2018, the state determined UTS owed $72,000 in overpayments to the Ohio Department of Medicaid, which the company initially intended to fight but resolved to pay.
UTS has not responded to NBC4's inquiries or requests for comment.
