CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Family members of students involved in the Kenwood Middle School bus crash pressed the Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board for accountability Tuesday night, saying the district failed to communicate during and after the March 27 wreck that killed two students and injured dozens more.

The meeting also drew renewed criticism from the family of the student who was shown nude photos by former Montgomery Central High School teacher Matthew Vedder, who said the district’s silence on both situations has eroded public trust.

Parent of bus crash survivor calls for accountability

Xaviel Lugo, parent of a Kenwood Middle bus crash survivor who provided dash camera footage showing the bus crossing the centerline, told the board that families are still struggling.

“We’ve dealt with trauma, grief and an unimaginable amount of stress these last few months,” Lugo said.

He criticized the district’s initial public statement that all parents had been notified the day of the crash. “That statement was false,” he said, adding that many families learned what happened through social media, not through the district’s emergency communication system.

Lugo said the district’s response left parents feeling that “testing participation and district metrics are of greater urgency than the emotional and physical well-being of the children.”

He said families have received no assistance for emergency medical care. “Fifty-three days have now passed, and not one affected family has received assistance for the emergency medical care our children required that day,” he said.

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Lugo said his daughter was LifeFlighted from the scene and continues to need treatment, and that the $700,000 in emergency funds split among 24 students is not enough to cover the costs.

“While the district prepares for summer break, our families are preparing for continued medical appointments, therapy sessions and trauma recovery,” he said. “Parents are left to pick up the pieces of a reality they did not break.”

“This is a defining moment,” Lugo said. “You can choose accountability, transparency, meaningful action and doing what’s right – not what’s easy.”

Grandmother says school ‘went silent’ after crash

Dianna McClain, grandmother of another survivor, described the bus crash as “every parent’s worst fear come to life.”

McClain said she called the school minutes after the wreck but was unable to reach the principal. “The front office hung up on me eight times,” she said. “She told me whenever it was convenient she would have the principal call me.”

She said she eventually reached the principal after calling the school nurse “begging for help.”

“I put my lifeline in your hands, and in the wake of tragedy the school went silent and didn’t communicate with us,” she said.

McClain said she had to visit multiple doctors to get her grandson excused from testing. “I can only begin to imagine what these children truly feel,” she said, adding that the district’s response led her to believe they “did not have an emergency plan in place.”

Parents of student in Vedder case say silence is ‘deafening’

Adam Ellithorpe, the father of the girl shown nude photos by Vedder, also addressed the board. He said he was speaking for students and staff who feel they “cannot speak freely.”

Ellithorpe said the bus crash raised questions about safety and accountability, while the Vedder case raised concerns about transparency.

“The response from leadership has left many families feeling frustrated, unheard and deeply concerned,” he said, adding that the district’s silence on both matters was “deafening.”

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“You were elected to serve students, families, teachers and taxpayers,” he said.

Ellithorpe called for honesty and action. “We’re here to demand better … because our children deserve better,” he said. “We will do better with no Vedder.”

Karen England, who signed up for public comment, asked the board to allow Ashley Ellithorpe to speak in her place. Audience members chanted “Let her speak,” and the board approved the switch.

“Trust cannot be restored without action,” Ashley said. “My daughter Mackenzie experienced trauma that has forever changed her life … Student safety should never come second to protecting reputations.”

She called for new leadership within CMCSS that “puts children first.”

Board passes updated Student Code of Conduct

Later in the meeting, the board approved the 2026-27 Student Code of Conduct, which includes new rules on smart eyewear and clarified language on recording fights.

During discussion before the vote, several audience members shouted concerns about the staff phone policy. Board Chairman Chris Lanier warned that anyone who continued disrupting the meeting would be removed.

Before the meeting ended, County Commissioner Joshua Beal asked for the full board packets to be made available to the public, not just the agenda. He also recommended that the board review the staff cell phone policy.

“While you guys are looking at the student cell phone policy, I would encourage you to look at the staff cell phone policy also,” Beal said.

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