SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Roderick Stansbery has taught many student drivers as a driving school instructor and owner since 1988.
"It's kind of an enjoyable job,” Roderick Stansbery, Bakkers Driving School instructor and owner, said. "If we get a driving school and a driving instructor who does a good job and teaches thoroughly, then we'll have students that'll be less likely to be in a collision."
Following San Diego Police's arrest of a driving school instructor - Richard "Joseph" Banks - from El-Cajon American Driving School for alleged sex crimes against female students, Stansbery told 10News there could be impact on the reputation of the industry.
"It makes the whole driving school industry look dirty,” Stansbery said. "It's terrible, you know, and this is the most important class they'll have."
When hiring instructors to teach the classes, Stansbery says the DMV requires a criminal background check and a life scan before they can take the test to be an instructor.
The owner of Bakkers Driving School told ABC 10News that he does take additional steps before hiring some instructors.
"What I do is with male teachers is I want is my phrase I use is previously vetted,” Stansbery said. “So I want to hand select them that they have come from an experience with the Boys and Girls Club, as a teaching professional where they were life scanned before like a college or university, a high school where they were previously a teacher and where there's some history there."
When it comes to Banks' arrest, American Driving School told ABC 10News in a statement they're shocked by the allegations, Banks' actions are his alone and they violate the trust and policies of the company and the DMV. The school also said, "We've always encouraged parents to ride on the lessons for observation of our teaching methods. As with all DMV licensed instructors, Joe passed a DOJ background check before he was hired."
"We just need a little more regulation with the legislature, you know, keep us on our toes,” Stansbery said.
In his opinion, Stansbery said, a way to prevent these kinds of situations is better laws- to have multiple people in the car.
"And that law is, don't allow a kid and a teacher to be alone in the car. It's a simple solution,” Stansbery said
