A week has passed since NBC Palm Springs reported on the controversial charter bus ride involving a group of Palm Desert students. Parents described the trip as “traumatizing,” while the bus company insisted the situation was misrepresented. They provided video footage—without sound—that showed kids moving up and down the aisle while the bus was in motion, with a chaperone seated and the bus driver eventually stopping, addressing the situation, and calling the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
That footage, showing clear behavior on the bus, was aired on our newscast. Now, a week later, a viewer from Indio named Tom reached out via Instagram, challenging our coverage. “Mr. Roggin, your recent assessment and opinion on the charter bus and the kids was a joke. There is little in this world you can believe and trust. Your show made that list for me,” Tom wrote.
In response, we invited Tom—and any other parents or witnesses—to share their side of the story. “We tried to find parents to come on the show, and I welcome you to come on tomorrow if you would like to talk about it,” our reply stated. We made attempts to get comments from parents when the video first surfaced, but none agreed to appear on camera.
While the video released to us by the bus company lacked audio, its visual evidence captured the sequence of events. If there were critical moments missed, why haven’t parents who were present—many with phones—shared their own recordings?
This story remains open. The invitation for parents or witnesses to share their perspective is still available. We believe in telling the whole story, and we are committed to doing just that. If anyone wishes to come forward, NBC Palm Springs welcomes your voice.
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By: Fred Roggin
May 31, 2025
