Diane J. Crawford spent a big part of her life driving a school bus for the Juniata County School District in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. For 35 years, she drove kids back and forth to school. She took her job seriously and felt fulfilled. All of that changed in early 2025 when she posted a handwritten note on her bus asking children to speak only English while on board. Many believed her note targeted Spanish-speaking students and was inherently racist. Crawford lost not only her job but also her livelihood, and she claims it was just a big misunderstanding.
Crawford drove a bus for the Juniata County School District for more than 30 years. During the past 12 months, she was contracted through Rohrer Bus, but currently the 66-year-old is unemployed and relying on government benefits to survive. She told WHP she never thought writing, “Out of respect to English only students, there will be NO speaking Spanish on this bus,” would ruin her life. But now, she’s a former bus driver labeled as a racist, which she claims is totally unjust.
“I didn’t mean to be racially insensitive or anything like that,” she said, according to WHP. “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.”
Crawford claimed she intended to use the sign to stop one student in particular from causing trouble when he rode the bus. He allegedly would get kids riled up by speaking Spanish, which Crawford doesn’t understand. She wanted to ensure there was no trouble, and having everyone speak English seemed like the solution to her.
Her employer disagreed, however, and without any warning, Crawford claims the company ended her contract. It’s worth noting that the note was signed “owner/management.”
“I didn’t know if he was bullying somebody, telling them to do something that they shouldn’t do,” Crawford shared. “I thought I heard him saying, Gordo and — I understand some of (the words) — I don’t know who he was talking to, but I assume he is directing at me.”
Now, Crawford wants an apology and repayment of upward of $30,000. “I would like them to admit that they were wrong,” she said, per the outlet. “I don’t want to be in debt because what they did was wrong.”
The Juniata County School District and Rohrer Bus shared a lengthy statement with WHP addressing the situation:
“Following the incident in question, the District and Rohrer 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. Based on those facts, and after careful consideration, the District and Rohrer determined that the conduct did not align with the standards and expectations for student transportation providers.”
Crawford said she loves her students and would never hurt anyone. This is a sad situation, but one that many people can learn from. Even if it seems like a good idea in your head, it’s probably better to run things by your employer before making a drastic decision that appears representative of someone else.
