CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System has provided new details about its response to the March 27 Kenwood Middle School bus crash, saying staff individually notified custodial parents – despite a parent telling the School Board that many learned of the crash through social media.
The district also confirmed that the bus driver, Sabrina Ducksworth, remains on leave during the ongoing investigations.
Ducksworth’s personnel file obtained by Clarksville Now shows no prior disciplinary actions, complaints or accidents. The file includes multiple standard medical examiner’s certificates showing she met all Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, with her most recent certification valid through February 2027.
District outlines parent-notification timeline
CMCSS spokesperson Anthony Johnson told Clarksville Now Monday that on the day of the crash, staff from the Safety and Health Department used the bus manifest to notify each custodial parent or guardian and provide updates from authorities in Carroll County, where the crash took place. In each case, after reaching one custodial parent, staff attempted to contact the second parent or guardian when applicable. Human Resources reached out to the emergency contacts for the employees on the bus.
Director of Schools Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder and other staff visited hospitals in Nashville on the evening of the crash to check on students receiving treatment, Johnson said. Kenwood Middle School staff and Luna-Vedder attempted to reach all families that weekend to see what individualized support was needed.
Johnson added that the district remains focused on supporting the impacted families. Due to pending litigation and active state and federal investigations, he said the district cannot comment further on the crash.
Parents raised concerns about notification, emergency funds
At the May 19 CMCSS School Board meeting, parent Xaviel Lugo – whose daughter survived the crash – told board members that families are still struggling with “trauma, grief and an unimaginable amount of stress.” He said the district’s public statement claiming all parents were notified on the day of the crash was incorrect, and that many families learned about the wreck through social media, according to previous reports.
Lugo also said families had not yet received assistance for medical care and that the $700,000 in emergency funds – expected to be divided among 24 families – will not cover the ongoing treatment costs. He called for transparency and “meaningful action.”
Johnson was unable to comment on the emergency fund.
Dianna McClain, grandmother of another survivor, told the board she called the school minutes after the wreck but was hung up on eight times. She said she eventually reached the principal after begging the school nurse for help. McClain said the school went silent after the crash and that the district’s response led her to believe they “did not have an emergency plan in place.”
Crash, investigations and lawsuit
As previously reported by Clarksville Now, at about 11:35 a.m. on March 27, a Kenwood Middle School bus carrying 24 STEM students and five adults crashed head-on with a Tennessee Department of Transportation dump truck in Carroll County. A Chevrolet Trailblazer was also hit in the wreck. Two eighth-grade students were killed – Zoe Davis and Arianna Pearson – and several others were critically injured.
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The National Transportation Safety Board told Clarksville Now on March 30 it had opened a safety investigation in coordination with the Tennessee Highway Patrol. A full investigation could take 12-24 months to complete.
In April, the NTSB released its preliminary report, confirming what was shown in the dash camera video: the bus crossed the centerline, sideswiped the TDOT dump truck and then collided with the Trailblazer. Ducksworth and the two people in the dump truck sustained serious injuries. The report also noted the speed limit was 55 mph, the weather was clear and the roadway was dry on the day of the crash.
The parents of Zoe have also filed a lawsuit against CMCSS and Ducksworth through Morgan and Morgan. The lawsuit alleges the bus driver was negligent, fatigued, and failed to exercise due care, according to previous reports. It argues that CMCSS is liable for her negligence. The family is seeking a jury trial, and the maximum amount that can be awarded in Tennessee is $5 million.
Johnson previously told Clarksville Now the district cannot comment on pending litigation.
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