Father sues Canyons School District, convicted Utah ex-bus driver

Courts • Action seeks damages, asserts district didn't provide adequate protection.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

Ron Yengich, defense attorney for John Martin Carrell, talks about the jury's verdict, in 3rd District Court in West Jordan, After 16 hours of deliberation over two days, a jury late Thursday afternoon convicted a former Canyons School District bus driver of 19 counts of molesting two of his young female passengers, but found him not guilty of 14 other counts. Carrell, 62, was on trial in 3rd District Court on 33 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Twenty-three of the counts are tied to alleged acts with the girl in the first of two set of videos. Another 10 counts are related to a second girl. Thursday, July 23, 2015.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

Ron Yengich, defense attorney for John Martin Carrell, talks about the jury's verdict, in 3rd District Court in West Jordan, After 16 hours of deliberation over two days, a jury late Thursday afternoon convicted a former Canyons School District bus driver of 19 counts of molesting two of his young female passengers, but found him not guilty of 14 other counts. Carrell, 62, was on trial in 3rd District Court on 33 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Twenty-three of the counts are tied to alleged acts with the girl in the first of two set of videos. Another 10 counts are related to a second girl. Thursday, July 23, 2015.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell (right) and defense attorney Ron Yengich listen as the prosecution asks for the maximum sentence for Carrell. Carrell, who was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"The media wants to truss me up," said former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell, while maintaining his innocence at his sentencing hearing. Carrell, who was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"I know and God knows I did not commit these crimes," said former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell to Judge L. Doulas Hogan. Carrell, who was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Tamara Ashby told the judge that her step-father John Carrell, (far right) who is grandfather to her seven children, had never acted inappropriately to her children. Carrell, the former Canyons School District bus driver was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers. Carrell was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Tamara Ashby told the judge that her step-father John Carrell, who is grandfather to her seven children, had never acted inappropriately to her children. Carrell, the former Canyons School District bus driver was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers. Carrell was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell looks to a victim's parents as they address the court. "He should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said the couple. Carrell, who was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Judge L. Douglas Hogan sentenced former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell, convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, to 15 years to life in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell (right) talks with his defense attorney Ron Yengich. Carrell, who was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan.

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Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Ron Yengich, defense attorney for John Martin Carrell, talks about the jury's verdict, in 3rd District Court in West Jordan, After 16 hours of deliberation over two days, a jury late Thursday afternoon convicted a former Canyons School District bus driver of 19 counts of molesting two of his young female passengers, but found him not guilty of 14 other counts. Carrell, 62, was on trial in 3rd District Court on 33 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Twenty-three of the counts are tied to alleged acts with the girl in the first of two set of videos. Another 10 counts are related to a second girl. Thursday, July 23, 2015. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Ron Yengich, defense attorney for John Martin Carrell, talks about the jury's verdict, in 3rd District Court in West Jordan, After 16 hours of deliberation over two days, a jury late Thursday afternoon convicted a former Canyons School District bus driver of 19 counts of molesting two of his young female passengers, but found him not guilty of 14 other counts. Carrell, 62, was on trial in 3rd District Court on 33 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Twenty-three of the counts are tied to alleged acts with the girl in the first of two set of videos. Another 10 counts are related to a second girl. Thursday, July 23, 2015. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell (right) and defense attorney Ron Yengich listen as the prosecution asks for the maximum sentence for Carrell. Carrell, who was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "The media wants to truss me up," said former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell, while maintaining his innocence at his sentencing hearing. Carrell, who was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "I know and God knows I did not commit these crimes," said former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell to Judge L. Doulas Hogan. Carrell, who was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Tamara Ashby told the judge that her step-father John Carrell, (far right) who is grandfather to her seven children, had never acted inappropriately to her children. Carrell, the former Canyons School District bus driver was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers. Carrell was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Tamara Ashby told the judge that her step-father John Carrell, who is grandfather to her seven children, had never acted inappropriately to her children. Carrell, the former Canyons School District bus driver was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers. Carrell was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell looks to a victim's parents as they address the court. "He should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said the couple. Carrell, who was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Judge L. Douglas Hogan sentenced former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell, convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, to 15 years to life in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Former Canyons School District bus driver John Carrell (right) talks with his defense attorney Ron Yengich. Carrell, who was convicted by a jury in July of 19 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child for molesting two of his young passengers, was sentenced to 15 years to life by Judge L. Douglas Hogan in Third District Court, October 6, 2015 in West Jordan.

By Michael McFall The Salt Lake Tribune

· March 16, 2016 12:59 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A Utah man is suing Canyons School District and a former — now imprisoned — school bus driver who molested two passengers.

The lawsuit was filed against John Martin Carrell and his former employer on Monday in 3rd District Court. The lawsuit seeks $1 million in punitive damages against Carrell, who is serving a sentence of 15 years to life.

The children, both 5-year-old girls, were special-needs students at Altara Elementary School in Sandy when the offenses took place in March and April 2014. The man who brought the suit is the father of one of the victims.

"Canyons School District was a 'common carrier' and had a heightened duty of care to keep its riders safe," the lawsuit reads. "They failed to do so."

During Carrell's sentencing last October, Judge L. Douglas Hogan said he had watched Carrell with the children in the more than two hours of bus surveillance videos prosecutors submitted as evidence and was troubled by the inordinate amount of attention the driver had given to the two girls.

Before being sentenced, Carrell adamantly maintained his innocence.

Whether the school district can be sued might become a point of contention.

In December, a Utah judge tossed a lawsuit against Davis School District, which claimed it didn't do enough to protect students from a teacher who sexually abused three students. Lawyers for the school district had argued that schools are protected from liability when students are assaulted.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

Twitter: @MikeyPanda