Mission, Texas - Former IDEA School Bus Driver Jose Luis Garza Indicted on 24 Child Sex Abuse Charges

Former IDEA Bus Driver Accused of Sexually Abusing 2 Students

A former bus driver for IDEA Schools has been accused of sexually abusing 2 young students who were under his care as a bus driver. He has been arraigned on 24 charges related to these allegations.

An 8-year-old girl and 6-year-old girl were the first to come forward to report that Jose Luis Garza inappropriately touched them overtop of their clothing from August 2017 through April 2018. Garza has been accused of sexually abusing eight children while working as a bus driver at the IDEA Schools Mission campus.

Garza was arrested three times on several charges between May and June of 2018.

He appeared in Hidalgo County court on Anjalih 11 and pled not guilty to two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a victim under 14, four counts of sexual abuse of a child by sexual contact, four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and 18 counts of indecency with a child with sexual contact.

Garza is scheduled to appear in court again in May.

Justice for School Sex Abuse Survivors and Their Families

Attorney contributor Anjali Nigam represents sexual abuse survivors and their families in civil lawsuits. Here are some of Anjali's thoughts on how these survivors and families can find justice in cases of sexual abuse involving school employees:

If you've recently discovered that your child has been sexually abused by a school employee, we understand the anger, sadness, and pain your family is dealing with during this traumatic time. Our schools have a critical responsibility to keep our children safe while under their watch. When they fail to do so and innocent children become the victims of heinous crimes, it's important to hold both the perpetrator and the school responsible for the harm they've caused.

Schools can be held liable for the sexual abuse of students if their negligence allowed the abuse to occur. Some common forms of negligence in school employee sexual abuse cases include:

• Failing to run a background check and hiring an employee with a history of sexual misconduct
• Ignoring student reports of sexual abuse involving an employee
• Failure to report suspected abuse to law enforcement

Families affected by sexual abuse deserve justice. Our experienced sexual abuse survivors attorneys are prepared to help your family demand accountability from the abuser and those who have enabled them. You can learn more about your family's legal options in a free legal consultation.