Family of Valley Stream HS student allegedly sexually assaulted by school bus driver files lawsuit
The father of a Valley Stream high school student who alleged she was sexually assaulted by a school bus driver filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming Nassau County, the Valley Stream Central High School District, the bus company and the driver, were negligent.
The family is seeking unspecified damages in the case, following the December indictment in Nassau County Court of Giovanny Campos, 50, of Queens on charges of second-degree kidnapping, third-degree rape, two counts of third-degree criminal sex act and reckless endangerment. The case is pending.
Campos is accused of abusing the girl multiple times on board the bus and at his home from January to June 2023.
Valley Stream Central High School District officials said they don't comment on pending litigation, but noted Campos was removed as a bus driver once the allegations were made. They said they are cooperating with authorities and offered assistance to the student involved, her family and any other students affected.
“The District is aware of legal action which has been filed and criminal charges concerning the disturbing allegations against a bus driver formerly employed by a transportation provider which provided shuttle bus services last year,” the district said in a statement Wednesday. “Our District is a place where our students should be safe, and we condemn in absolute terms any violation of that safety, as well as the unspeakable harm the accused is alleged to have inflicted.”
“We have and continue to encourage anyone with additional information regarding this matter to immediately report it to our staff and to the Nassau County Police Department,” district officials said.
The county, Campos’ attorney and the Laurelton-based Cheese Bus Inc. contracted by the district, for which Campos drove, could not be reached for comment.
The girl was about 15 or 16 years old at the time of the abuse, said the family’s attorney, Anthony Emanuel, of the Garden City law firm Bornstein & Emanuel.
Newsday does not name alleged victims of sexual abuse without their consent.
Prosecutors said at the time of Campos' indictment that they were investigating whether there were other victims.
“We feel this is something they were on notice about, his propensity,” Emanuel said. “This was a terrible thing that happened to a young woman who has been victimized and it’s unfortunate they allowed this to happen to her.”
Campos was assigned to a bus route from Central High School to North High School in Valley Stream and picked up the student along that route from January to July, prosecutors said.
Campos allegedly raped the teen multiple times, including in a parking lot while still on the bus, prosecutors said. Campos also allegedly transported the girl to his apartment in Jamaica, Queens, to have sex with her, prosecutors said.
The lawsuit claims the county, the school district and the bus company “were negligent in placing Campos in a position to cause foreseeable harm … by failing to take reasonable care in making decisions regarding the hiring and retention of Campos.”
The victim continues to require physical and emotional treatment for her injuries and has been unable to resume her normal activities, according to the lawsuit.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
'It's disappointing and it's unfortunate' Suffolk Police Officer David Mascarella is back on the job after causing a 2020 crash that severely injured Riordan Cavooris, then 2. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger and Newsday investigative reporter Paul LaRocco have the story.
'It's disappointing and it's unfortunate' Suffolk Police Officer David Mascarella is back on the job after causing a 2020 crash that severely injured Riordan Cavooris, then 2. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger and Newsday investigative reporter Paul LaRocco have the story.
