Bus driver’s 'English-only' sign triggers DOJ probe into firing

New York City, United States - 7 Sept 2023: Yellow School Bus, Manhattan bridge, schoolbus truck, city street. Children education and USA transportation. American residential district school shuttle.

The head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division says she has ordered an investigation into the firing of a local school bus driver who posted an “English-only” sign, alleging the situation implicates “DEI wokeness.”

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, in announcing the investigation, called the firing “deeply concerning.”

Pennsylvania’s CBS 21 News reported that “Diane Crawford, 66, said she never thought writing a note would cost her so much.”

The note read: “Out of respect to English-only students, there will be no speaking Spanish on this bus.”

“I didn’t mean to be racially insensitive or anything like that,” Crawford said. “Maybe I should have worded it (differently). Maybe it should have said, ‘No bullying in any language,’ but I didn’t mean it to be anything but to correct him.”

CBS 21 reported that “Crawford claimed she never got to explain that the sign was put up to encourage safe and respectful behavior and that it was directed at a bilingual student who allegedly had a history of riling up other students in Spanish.”

She also alleged that she was fired overnight, but the local school district and bus contractor in a joint statement said they “jointly reviewed the situation in accordance with established procedures. The investigation concluded after the subcontractor provided a written admission confirming that the signage had been installed on her bus. At that point, the relevant facts of the situation were fully known and discussed among District and Rohrer leadership.”

Civil rights litigator Patrick Jaicomo in a social media post directed toward Assistant Attorney General Dhillon asked: “Can you lay out the possible legal basis for your concerns?”

“I’d also be interested to hear whether you think someone acting under color of state law can prohibit the speaking of Spanish,” he wrote. “That seems like it would violate the 1st [and] 14th Amendments, no?”

Jaicomo added, “If I wanted to enforce civil rights, I’d investigate a school bus driver’s violation of the 1st and 14th Amendments under color of state law. If I wanted to score cheap political points, I’d investigate ‘DEI wokeness.’ Then again, there’s a reason I don’t work for the gov’t.”

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