Long Island man challenges school bus camera program with class-action lawsuit

LONG ISLAND - Drive past a school bus with its stop arm out on Long Island and depending on the location you can get hit with a $250 ticket. 

Sergey Kadinsky paid a ticket he got over the summer but has since filed a class-action lawsuit against the Town of Hempstead where it was issued. 

"I paid it," he said. "Thought that’s all there is and now there’s more to it."

The original law makes it illegal to pass a school bus only when a bus is either loading or unloading passengers, but Kadinsky argues the angles of the video cameras currently on buses don’t always make it clear. 

"The goal is to see that the law was applied as intended that when a school bus stops it’s discharging or picking up students it’s not just stopped with a paddle out to collect tickets from unsuspecting drivers," Kadinsky said.

Kadinsky’s lawsuit may rule in his favor after a Suffolk resident challenged his ticket and won in the Supreme Court appellate term using a similar argument. 

Legal expert Paul Sabatino II says the decision could pave the way for challenges in court. 

The school bus camera safety program first introduced in Suffolk in 2021 brought in more than $20 million within its first year. While there’s no countywide effort in Nassau, towns have the option to opt in individually. 

"We want to see evidence of children going on and off the bus," Kadinsky said. "A camera alone isn’t enough."

According to officials, there have been more than 131,000 notices issued in the town of Hempstead since December 2022. 

Kadinsky wants everyone who paid to be refunded and it says the program should be modified.

"It’s not about a pay off," he said. 

While the Town of Hempstead says they don’t comment on pending litigation, they are due to respond to Kadinsky’s lawsuit by the end of the month. BusPatrol, the company that partners with local governments to operate the safety camera program, says the lawsuit lacks merit. 

Their legal team is in the process of requesting the court dismiss the case.