BELLEVILLE – The family of G’Mauri Hodges has filed an 18-count federal lawsuit against the Board of Education of Belleville Township High School District 201 over the September 23, 2026, van crash in which Hodges was severely injured.
The attorneys at JJ Legal who represent the Hodges family released the following statement:
“Today, the Hodges family took the first step toward holding Belleville Township High School District 201 accountable. The 18-count complaint the family has filed today lays out failure after failure by the District. Tragically disappointing. Keeping children safe is a school’s most basic responsibility. This tragedy was entirely avoidable.”
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (Case No. 3.26-cv-01519), alleges:
- No bids, no contract, no safety review. The District never sought bids or signed a written contract with MVP Transportation, a non-emergency medical transportation company, yet paid it $385,655.80 starting in 2022. In emails, District staff called MVP’s $40-per-day rate “so cheap” and “very cheap.”
- An unpermitted driver with federal drug-trafficking convictions. The Illinois Secretary of State has confirmed that MVP was not registered as a school bus employer and that the driver had no school bus permit. The complaint alleges that the driver had twice pleaded guilty to federal drug-trafficking charges, which permanently disqualified him from transporting students, and that the District never ran the required background check.
- Warnings ignored. In 2022, a District staff member reported “a lot of complaints about MVP.” A District director also received a report that an MVP driver was falling asleep at the wheel, swerving, and nearly hitting other cars, with beer cans in the cup holders. The Board went on to pay MVP more than $376,000, over 97% of the total, approving the payments by unanimous votes.
- A van that should never have carried students. The students rode in an unmarked 15-passenger van, a type of vehicle that Illinois State Board of Education guidance says is illegal to use for transporting students. The van lacked the required fire extinguisher and first aid kit, and it was insured for $500,000, a quarter of the $2 million minimum required by law.
- The crash. The van, carrying seven students, rear-ended another vehicle at high speed, left the road, struck a traffic signal pole, and caught fire. G’Mauri, a 15-year-old varsity football player, suffered burns over more than 70% of his body.
- One student died.
About JJ Legal
The Driscoll Firm, P.C., doing business as JJ LEGAL INJURY LAWYERS, is a nationally recognized law firm representing individuals and families in complex litigation across the United States. Founded in St. Louis in 2008, the firm has pursued claims against major corporations and governmental entities, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, securing more than $2 billion in judgments and settlements on behalf of injured victims and their families. JJ LEGAL is committed to holding responsible parties accountable and helping individuals and families seek justice when negligence or misconduct causes serious harm.
