A Naperville North High School teacher allegedly rented a Toyota GR Supra from a San Antonio native, Giovanni Morales, to race in a speed competition in Beeville, Texas with his students.
In a report by Fox News, the incident started when the teacher, Gregory Ditch, and his students were heading to the racing event with a truck that was built to break a land speed record. The truck, however, became inoperable before the event, prompting Ditch to use the Supra he rented.
According to Morales, Ditch rented the vehicle for approximately three days through Turo. The latter, however, didn’t inform the former that the car would be used in a racing event. When the car was returned, Morales noticed that something wasn’t right. He then saw photos and videos on social media of Supra being used in a racing competition, allegedly causing damages worth nearly $4,000.
Morales said that all of the Supra’s tires were worn due to excessive use, plus it was driven at speeds over 160 miles per hour. The brakes also needed replacement.
Ditch allegedly told Morales that he rented the Toyota Supra just to have something nice to drive, but there was no talk of racing. However, Morales said that he suspected that the car would be used for racing, only to be proven correct when the car was returned.
The incident led to an investigation by Naperville North High School. A third-party investigation confirmed that Ditch and his students were violating terms and conditions when renting a car. Of note, the Turo app explicitly mentioned in its terms that racing a rented vehicle is prohibited.
The school released a statement saying that they were saddened that the incident didn’t meet their high standards and are actively investigating the matter.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of the students and the use of school resources for personal gain. It is yet to be determined if Ditch will face any disciplinary actions for his actions.
