Bus driver who made ‘offensive’ George Floyd comment out of job, Louisiana district says
A Louisiana school bus driver is out of a job after making “racially insensitive” remarks about the death of George Floyd to a student.
The St. Bernard Parish School District acted swiftly, confirming Wednesday that the employee “no longer works for ... the school system.”
“The statement the driver made does not reflect the values of our school district and were offensive, inappropriate , and racially insensitive,” district officials told McClatchy News in a statement. “The district took appropriate action in addressing this situation.”
Floyd, a Black man, died May 25, 2020, after then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as he was placed under arrest. On Tuesday, a jury convicted Chauvin, 45, on murder and manslaughter charges in Floyd’s death, bringing a dramatic end to the high-profile trial.
Parent Rose Gabriel reported the bus driver’s comment last week after her 11-year-old son Rashad complained that the driver “said something to me that was racist,’ ” according to WWL-TV.
The incident happened April 9 shortly after Rashad ran to catch the school bus.
Once he boarded, the boy told his mother the driver scolded him because his face mask had fallen under his nose, and he told her he was out of breath from running. The driver then said: “Since George Floyd, that’s what you all say, but I don’t see a knee on your neck,” WWL-TV reported.
Other students on the bus heard the driver’s remark, which was also captured on the bus’s surveillance system, according to the news station.
Rose Gabriel cheered the district’s decision, saying she’s relieved to know the driver is “no longer on the bus with my son or anybody else’s child.”
This story was originally published April 21, 2021 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Bus driver who made ‘offensive’ George Floyd comment out of job, Louisiana district says."