A Pennsylvania woman has been fired from her job as a school bus driver after posting a sign on her bus stating that students should only speak English while riding.
The driver, Diane Crawford, 66, placed the sign on her bus window earlier this year. The message read:
“Out of respect to English-only students, there will be no speaking Spanish on this bus.”
According to Newsweek, Crawford said the sign was directed at a bilingual student she claimed had previously targeted other students by speaking Spanish.
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Driver Says Sign Was Meant to Address Bullying
Crawford insisted her intentions were misunderstood and said she was not trying to be discriminatory. “I didn’t mean to be racially insensitive or anything like that,” she explained. “Maybe it should have said, ‘No bullying in any language,’ but I didn’t mean it to be anything but to correct him.”
Crawford was suspended from Rohrer Bus in February. However, she claims she was never officially suspended and says a formal investigation never took place.
School District Says Driver Admitted to Posting the Sign
The school district and Rohrer Bus released a joint statement, saying the situation was reviewed internally.
According to the statement, the “subcontractor provided a written admission confirming that the signage had been installed on her bus.”
As a result, Crawford’s employment was terminated.
Driver Seeking Financial Relief After Termination
Crawford is now seeking $30,000 to help pay off the cost of a bus route she purchased last year. She maintains that she was wrongfully terminated and hopes the school district will reconsider its decision.
The incident has sparked online debate over language use, discipline, and cultural sensitivity in school environments.
