A civil lawsuit has been filed by parents on behalf of siblings referred to in court documents as R.E.R. and R.J.R. who were sexually abused by Michael Banco, a school bus driver for Clark County School District. Banco, a convicted sex offender, allegedly molested the children, then around 4 and 5 years old, during school bus rides in May 2015 .
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Lavishly, surveillance cameras aboard the bus captured Banco moving the children—especially R.E.R.—to the front and repeatedly abusing her across three separate days. The incidents caused significant emotional and developmental trauma to both minors .
Details of the Abuse & District Failures
Timing and Victims’ Profiles
The plaintiffs, now aged 13 and 15, suffered abuse beginning around ages 4 and 5 when they rode the bus to pre‑school .
Surveillance Footage
Driver Banco was seen on camera molesting R.E.R. and forcibly relocating R.J.R., who resisted. These events occurred over at least three days May 12, 13, and 26, 2015 .
Ignored Warning Signs
Parents reported persistent late bus arrivals, some over 30 minutes past scheduled drop-off times—yet no investigations were initiated, and no tape reviews were conducted .
Unfulfilled Aide Requirement
Despite federal funding earmarked for a bus aide to support special needs students, CCSD allegedly failed to staff the bus appropriately. The lawsuit claims this absence enabled Banco’s actions .
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Systemic Oversight Lapses
The lawsuit names several school district officials former superintendent Pat Skorkowsky, transportation safety director Karen Johnson, among others accusing them of neglect and failure to act on warning signs .
Legal and Criminal Consequences
Following the 2015 investigation, Banco was arrested and ultimately convicted. In 2018, he pled guilty to one count of sexual assault with a minor under 16 and one count of lewdness with a child under 14. He received a 35‑to‑life prison sentence, with parole eligibility not until 2040 .
The lawsuit argues that CCSD’s failure to hire an aide and investigate warnings amounted to Title IX violations and unconstitutional neglect, causing permanent emotional harm to the children .
Financial Settlements by CCSD
CCSD has opted for settlement rather than litigation. In January 2025, the board approved a $9.6 million settlement for the siblings, part of a near‑$10 million payout in those proceedings .
This case marks at least the third multimillion-dollar settlement tied to Banco:
Year Settlement Victims
Feb 2022 $9 million First victim(s)
Jan 2025 $9.6 million R.E.R. & R.J.R.
Total payouts exceed $18 million, not counting interest or attorney fees .
Human Impact
According to court documents, R.E.R. began to exhibit food-related behavioral issues part of her individualized education plan that Banco exploited to groom her . After the trauma:
> “She has days where she just shuts down … This is something that she’s going to need to speak to somebody professionally for the rest of her life,”
said the mother of one of the victims .
R.J.R., forced to witness his sister’s abuse, suffers lifelong mental and emotional damage .
Public Reaction & Online Outrage
Reddit discussions reflect community shock and demand accountability. One user wrote:
> “the school district employed a bus driver named Michael Blanco … allowed this pedophile to continue driving children … no one ever looked at the footage.”
Another pointed out persistent reporting of late bus arrivals and surveillance misuse:
“The school district ignored the parents reporting that this driver was regularly more than an hour late … Yet no one … checked or watched the footage.”
These voices echo widespread outrage over the district’s neglect and failures.
Broader Context: CCSD & Special Education Crises
These cases form part of a troubling trend in CCSD’s treatment of special education students. In September 2024, a class-action lawsuit alleged systemic violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), claiming chronic underfunding and inadequate oversight .
In related news, CCSD also paid nearly $10 million in June 2024 to settle a separate lawsuit involving physical and emotional abuse of a nonverbal autistic student, J.J. Wahrer, by school personnel .
What’s Coming Next
Civil Trial Pending
While this settlement may close one chapter, other plaintiffs (or future cases) may pursue claims seeking policy changes, punitive damages, and structural reforms.
Policy Reforms Under Scrutiny
The lawsuit invokes Title IX and ADA implications. Plaintiffs demand end to CCSD’s “systematic failure” to protect vulnerable children, with calls for improved supervision, transparency, complaint procedures, and federal oversight .
Long-Term Impact on Families
Medical and educational specialists highlight that trauma from sexual violence in early childhood can lead to PTSD, trust issues, and prolonged therapy needs a burden both emotional and financial .
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Conclusion
The Clark County School District faces one of its most profound scandals: the systemic sexual abuse of extremely vulnerable children under its care. This case transcends individual criminal acts, revealing catastrophic administrative failures—from ignoring surveillance data to neglecting federal resource allocations.
As the district settles with victims in the tens of millions, this story is an indictment of deeper institutional collapse. The victims, now in their teens, will live with the psychological and emotional scars for life. Whether CCSD will learn and reform honoring its duty to the most vulnerable remains the most urgent question
Sources:
CCSD settlements and lawsuit filings from Las Vegas Review-Journal, KTNV, FOX5, 8NewsNow
Community reactions via Reddit
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