School Bus Driver Says No Spanish Speaking Students On Her Bus, Fired

In early 2025, school bus driver Diane Crawford was fired by the Juniata County School District and Rohrer Bus in Pennsylvania after she posted a handwritten sign on her bus window banning students from speaking Spanish. 

Details of the Incident

• The Sign: The message read, "Out of respect to English only students, there will be NO speaking Spanish on this bus".

• Reason for Termination: The school district and the bus company, which subcontracted Crawford, stated her conduct did not align with their standards for safe and inclusive student transportation. Crawford, who had driven for the district for over 30 years, had her contract terminated the night after the sign appeared.

• Crawford’s Defense: Crawford claims she was not being racist but was attempting to stop a "rowdy bilingual student" she believed was bullying others in Spanish. She expressed regret over the wording, suggesting it should have said "No bullying in any language".

• Current Status: As of late 2025, Crawford is unemployed and has stated she is relying on government benefits like Medicare and SNAP. 

  
  

DOJ Investigation

In December 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an investigation into Crawford’s firing. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon directed the investigation, citing concerns over "DEI wokeness" in the decision to terminate her contract.