The California Highway Patrol is reviewing complaints that Hemet Unified School District allowed school bus drivers to work beyond state safety limits, allegations whistleblowers say could put students and drivers at risk.
Two complaints sent to the CHP’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit on March 28 and April 18 accuse the district’s transportation department of repeated violations of California rules governing how long school bus drivers may remain on duty. The complaints allege that fatigued drivers were assigned to transport children despite exceeding hourly limits.
The April 18 complaint, an 18-page document, argues that the number of alleged violations points to a broader operational problem rather than isolated mistakes. Both complaints cite information that whistleblowers say came from the district’s digital timekeeping system.
The March 28 complaint alleges that more than 40 drivers exceeded state safety limits hundreds of times between July 2025 and March 2026. According to the complaint, employees identified 247 primary violations, including 227 instances in which drivers worked 80 to 85 hours during an eight-day period, exceeding the state’s 80-hour cap. The complaint also cited 19 cases in which drivers worked more than 90 hours over eight days and 20 instances in which drivers surpassed the 16-hour daily on-duty limit.
The April 18 complaint alleges that from January through April, at least 16 drivers worked more than 16 hours in a single day. It also documented more than 100 cases between Jan. 5 and April 17 in which drivers exceeded 80 hours during a rolling eight-day period, including nine employees who worked more than 90 hours, according to the complaint.
The complaint warns that driver fatigue is a major factor in commercial vehicle crashes and says state limits for pupil transportation exist to prevent serious incidents. It further alleges that, if the district’s timekeeping data is accurate, Hemet Unified may have operated in a way that violated the law and endangered students.
CHP Sgt. Omar Morales of the agency’s Border Division said Thursday that the investigation began in mid-April and is being conducted jointly by the motor carrier safety units in the Border and Inland divisions. Morales declined to discuss details of the inquiry but said it is expected to be completed within the next couple of months.
One district transportation employee, who requested anonymity, said more than six employees contacted the CHP and the media after they believed their concerns were not addressed by the district’s transportation manager and a district administrator.
The employee said the alleged violations are considered serious in the commercial driving industry, where drivers are routinely trained not to exceed legal limits. The employee pointed to California Vehicle Code Section 21702 and Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations Section 1212.
Together, those rules generally limit school bus drivers to 10 hours of driving in one day, prohibit them from remaining on duty more than 16 hours after reporting to work and bar them from driving after reaching 80 on-duty hours in any consecutive eight-day period.
District spokesperson Brenda Aguirre-Hassan said the assertion that employees had previously raised the issue with district officials has not been substantiated. She said Hemet Unified has not received formal complaints directly related to the allegations.
Aguirre-Hassan said the district is reviewing personnel matters connected to the CHP investigation. She also said Hemet Unified follows extensive safety protocols designed to comply with laws and regulations governing student transportation.
The district provides ongoing training focused on regulatory compliance and safe operations, Aguirre-Hassan said. She said Hemet Unified uses both digital timekeeping and manual logs, as required by law, to verify drivers’ hours of service. Those records are reviewed internally by the transportation department and are available to the CHP during regular and unannounced terminal inspections, she said.
Aguirre-Hassan said the district is considering upgrades to its auditing software that would provide real-time alerts when drivers approach legal limits.
Before the current CHP review, Hemet Unified had a long record of receiving “satisfactory” ratings, the highest available, during CHP inspections, Aguirre-Hassan said. She said the district’s priority remains student safety and that Hemet Unified is committed to transparency, accountability and continued compliance with safety rules.
Hemet Unified’s transportation department has become a regional busing provider for the San Jacinto Valley and nearby Inland Empire districts. Under former transportation manager Michael Fogerty, the district expanded in 2014 into a transportation hub serving students from other districts and agencies. With one of Southern California’s larger school bus fleets, the district generated outside revenue through those agreements.
District officials have said those contracts help cover operating costs, pay for fleet improvements and support a self-sustaining transportation program.
Hemet Unified did not provide a complete list of school districts and agencies for which it provides busing services. The April 18 complaint, however, says the district serves Perris Union High School District, Perris Elementary, Nuview Union Elementary, Romoland, San Jacinto Unified and Val Verde Unified, among others.
The complaint alleges that the outside transportation workload brings in millions of dollars and that some employees believe the district is prioritizing contract volume and revenue over safety. Aguirre-Hassan said Hemet Unified currently employs 239 professional school drivers.
The April 18 complaint also cites turnover in the transportation department, alleging that two executive directors have resigned in the past three years, along with three transportation managers and one coordinator. The complaint claims some newer managers lack sufficient knowledge of pupil transportation law and have given improper operational guidance.
The employee who spoke anonymously said the transportation department has struggled since Fogerty retired about five years ago, with staff frustrations focused on management, communication and understanding of legal requirements.
The complaint specifically notes the district’s appointment of Jeff Keeney, former principal of Valle Vista Elementary School, as executive director of transportation. It alleges district officials emphasized his leadership and morale-building abilities while overlooking the technical and regulatory experience required to oversee transportation operations. The complaint also says several managers remain new to their positions and appear unfamiliar with applicable transportation laws and regulations.
