Teacher suspended over sexual misconduct allegations working as ride-share driver

A Melbourne teacher suspended for alleged sexual misconduct has been allowed to work as a ride-share driver, which doesn’t require him to have a working with children check.

Taxi and ride-share drivers in Victoria are subject to police and background checks, but only those who regularly transport children may also be required to hold a working with children check. Ride-share companies and the government have yet to commit to mandating them for all drivers.

Maddy Bermann says all ride-share drivers should have working with children checks.Credit: Simon Schluter

The gap in the regulations has existed for years but has come into greater focus as the country grapples with how to protect young people after allegations of sexual abuse in childcare centres across Melbourne were exposed.

Melbourne woman Maddy Bermann raised concerns with Safe Transport Victoria in April about a man working as a ride-share driver after he had his teaching registration suspended because of allegations of sexual misconduct.

“There have been instances of ride-share drivers … with past allegations of sexual misconduct, some of whom are former teachers, who are now on these platforms,” Bermann told the regulator.

Bermann said the absence of working with children checks for ride-share drivers put unaccompanied young people at risk and was at odds with community expectations.

Ride-share drivers are not required to have working with children checks.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

“I strongly urge Safe Transport Victoria to consider making the working with children check a requirement for all ride-share drivers,” she said.

“A change in this policy would demonstrate a clear commitment to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people across the state.”

The suspended teacher is still under investigation by the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Children are allowed to travel in an Uber only when accompanied by an adult, but reports suggest that an increasing number of teens use the services alone or with their peers.

Shebah founder George McEncroe mandated working with children checks for her drivers. Credit: Joe Armao

Currently, if a driver thinks a passenger is underage, they are encouraged to ask for some identification for confirmation. If a rider is underage, drivers can decide to cancel the trip, Uber said.

Uber is also introducing Uber for Teens in the ACT, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland, in which children aged 13 to 17 can travel alone with their guardians’ permission. This program is expected to be rolled out nationally.

This masthead asked Uber whether the company planned to introduce mandatory working with children checks for all its drivers for safety and consistency. It did not answer the question.

Instead, an Uber spokesperson said safety was a top priority and that all drivers were “required to pass a criminal check in accordance with each state’s ride-sharing regulations before being eligible to receive trip requests”.

Taxi drivers in Sydney’s CBD.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

The spokesperson said: “Safety does not begin and end with a background check – our technology makes it possible to focus on safety for riders and drivers before, during and after every Uber trip.”

George McEncroe founded Shebah, a ride-sharing business for women, in 2017 and mandated that all drivers had a working with children check. She said the process was expensive and time-consuming, but it added a layer of protection and was in line with community expectations.

“I would always think if something were to happen, all I could say is that I used every available mechanism to ensure the safety of the people in our care,” she said.

McEncroe said people using ride-shares and taxis should be considered vulnerable. “They’re in a foreign city, they’ve had too much to drink, or they’re too old to drive or too young to drive,” she said.

The Victorian government did not answer whether it was considering requiring all ride-share drivers to have working with children checks.

A Safe Transport Victoria spokesperson said taxi and ride-share drivers were required to pass stringent background checks before offering services, including their national police, criminal and driving history and medical assessments.

Safe Transport Victoria receives updates from Victoria Police regarding charges and convictions.

The agency suspends drivers who are charged with serious offences – violent or sexual offences, sexual offences committed against a child or person with cognitive impairment, serious motor vehicle offences, child abuse offences and terrorism – and cancels their accreditation upon conviction.

In addition, taxis have mandatory security cameras and the government recently announced it will legislate to require cameras to record audio in addition to vision.

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