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School bus driver fired after flipping off president

SuzannePjamSuzannePjam Posts: 411
edited November 2006 in A Moving Train
A grievance with Bush leads to another one
School bus driver fired after flipping off president wants job back


SEATTLE - A school bus driver fired after she reportedly made an obscene gesture at President Bush has filed a union grievance in an attempt to get her job back.
The 43-year-old driver, whose name was not released, was driving middle school children back to school after a zoo visit on June 16 when the president and Republican Rep. Dave Reichert drove slowly by in a motorcade.
From the bus, the children waved; with the windows down in their car, Bush and Reichert waved back.
That’s when the driver gave the president the finger, according to Reichert and Issaquah superintendent Janet Barry.
“The congressman hadn’t seen it, but the president turned to him and said, ‘That one’s not a fan,”’ said Reichert spokeswoman Kimberly Cadena.
Reichert later called Barry to tell her about the incident, but the bus driver had already been fired. District officials learned about the incident after the driver boasted to colleagues about it, Cadena said.
District spokeswoman Sara Niegowski said the driver has filed a wrongful termination grievance through the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The union did not return calls seeking comment.
Niegowski said the firing was not politically motivated.
“The bus driver was not terminated for making an obscene gesture at the president. The bus driver was terminated for making an obscene gesture in view of the students,” Niegowski said. “That’s not the role modeling we need for our students.”
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  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    The bus driver was terminated for making an obscene gesture in view of the students,” Niegowski said. “That’s not the role modeling we need for our students.”



    I would agree
  • Dirty MosquitoDirty Mosquito Posts: 621
    I agree that it was not appropriate in front of children, however, I give the driver props for standing up for her beliefs against the president. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing.
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  • SPEEDY MCCREADYSPEEDY MCCREADY Posts: 25,598
    she deserved to be fired..........
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  • Will1659Will1659 Posts: 51
    As much as I find that story hilarious, I agree that it was a pretty dumb idea to do on the job in front of kids. Not that it's not something the kids probably see from each other nonstop in the back of that bus, but still.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    not sure of the original posters intent but someone else had used this example of how america is loosing its freedoms. flip off the president, loose your job.

    when will people understand. with freedom comes responsibilty
  • Dirty MosquitoDirty Mosquito Posts: 621
    jlew24asu wrote:
    not sure of the original posters intent but someone else had used this example of how america is loosing its freedoms. flip off the president, loose your job.

    when will people understand. with freedom comes responsibilty

    Agreed! Although, I do think there are certain situations where the government has taken way to much control and we've lost freedom for the illusion of saftey, to do away with our falsified fears.
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  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    Will1659 wrote:
    As much as I find that story hilarious, I agree that it was a pretty dumb idea to do on the job in front of kids. Not that it's not something the kids probably see from each other nonstop in the back of that bus, but still.

    I agree. Though it is hilarious.
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  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    jlew24asu wrote:
    The bus driver was terminated for making an obscene gesture in view of the students,” Niegowski said. “That’s not the role modeling we need for our students.”



    I would agree
    I agree also, but it's a convenient excuse if the powers that be at the school district were more upset with what she did regardless of if it was in front of the kids or not.
  • SuzannePjamSuzannePjam Posts: 411
    jlew24asu wrote:
    not sure of the original posters intent but someone else had used this example of how america is loosing its freedoms. flip off the president, loose your job.

    when will people understand. with freedom comes responsibilty
    My position is that it wasn't right to do in front of the kids, but if it were anywhere else, God bless. Lord knows you certainly can't do it at a Bush rally either.

    Now that bus driver probably has a CIA file three inches thick.
    "Where there is sacrifice there is someone collecting the sacrificial offerings."-- Ayn Rand

    "Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead,
    But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed..."-- Elvis Costello
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    cutback wrote:
    I agree also, but it's a convenient excuse if the powers that be at the school district were more upset with what she did regardless of if it was in front of the kids or not.


    but it was in front of the kids
  • enharmonicenharmonic Posts: 1,917
    Because we all know that bus drivers are natural role models. why, when I was a boy, I always dreamed of growing up to be a...bus...driver.
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  • Dirty MosquitoDirty Mosquito Posts: 621
    enharmonic wrote:
    Because we all know that bus drivers are natural role models. why, when I was a boy, I always dreamed of growing up to be a...bus...driver.

    Not the point, but you made me laugh...ha ha.
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  • SoonForgotten2SoonForgotten2 Posts: 2,245
    jlew24asu wrote:
    when will people understand. with freedom comes responsibilty

    Wow. How ironic. The US as a whole has no idea what that even means.
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  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    SoonForgotten2 wrote:
    Wow. How ironic. The US as a whole has no idea what that even means.


    I do and I'm American. easy to point the finger from 4000 miles away as if you know so much about americans.
  • SoonForgotten2SoonForgotten2 Posts: 2,245
    jlew24asu wrote:
    I do and I'm American. easy to point the finger from 4000 miles away as if you know so much about americans.

    You're right, it's so hard for me to see how wasteful and destructive the US is as an American living abroad. Silly me.
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  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    jlew24asu wrote:
    but it was in front of the kids
    I know that, but I'm very jaded and skeptical.;)
  • Vedderlution_BabyVedderlution_Baby Posts: 2,535
    What's wrong with flipping off the pres jlew24asu? In regards to your great responsibility comment.
  • surferdudesurferdude Posts: 2,057
    enharmonic wrote:
    Because we all know that bus drivers are natural role models. why, when I was a boy, I always dreamed of growing up to be a...bus...driver.
    Well with Bush as role model do you think anyone dreams of being the president anymore?
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  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    SoonForgotten2 wrote:
    You're right, it's so hard for me to see how wasteful and destructive the US is as an American living abroad. Silly me.


    silly boy
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Vedderlution_Baby! wrote:
    What's wrong with flipping off the pres jlew24asu? In regards to your great responsibility comment.


    nothing at all. its doing it in front of young children. or did you not catch that part?
  • Vedderlution_BabyVedderlution_Baby Posts: 2,535
    jlew24asu wrote:
    nothing at all. its doing it in front of young children. or did you not catch that part?


    No I caught that part. I just thought you meant flipping him off at all. As in "As an american, you have the freedom to flip off the president, but you should have the responsibility not to do it".
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Vedderlution_Baby! wrote:
    No I caught that part. I just thought you meant flipping him off at all. As in "As an american, you have the freedom to flip off the president, but you should have the responsibility not to do it".


    huh? let me explain.

    you should be able to flip off the president but be responsible enough not to do it in front of children
  • Vedderlution_BabyVedderlution_Baby Posts: 2,535
    jlew24asu wrote:
    huh? let me explain.

    you should be able to flip off the president but be responsible enough not to do it in front of children


    I understood that after you clarified it. I was just explaining what I thought you meant by it.
  • Uncle LeoUncle Leo Posts: 1,059
    It is hard to say what would have happened to the bus driver had she flipped off a regular person. The punishments should be the same. Probably a slap on the wrist or even suspension the first time and perhaps fired the second or third time. But if there is not precedent for this, then the employer has some discretion.

    She has no leg to stand on. She can't do that in front of kids while she is at work. Yeah, they'll all learn it sometime, but adults ought not provide the teaching.

    I don't think she should have been fired regardless of who she flipped off, but I do think that some discipline is necessary, along with a "do that again and you are fired."

    My sense is that she does not get fired if this is not the President, but I can't provide any evidence.


    I wish a kid had done it. I would like to see the reaction there. Kicked out of school?
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  • Eliot RosewaterEliot Rosewater Posts: 2,659
    SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:
    she deserved to be fired..........
    I disagree. Unless this bus driver was on some sort of probation or had previous written warnings concerning her duties, I see this as no grounds for losing her job. Sure, it's irresponsible and inappropriate. But I don't see it as a serious enough offense to be fired for. Give her a written warning and let her go on with her career of bus driving.
  • SongburstSongburst Posts: 1,195
    jlew24asu wrote:
    The bus driver was terminated for making an obscene gesture in view of the students,” Niegowski said. “That’s not the role modeling we need for our students.”



    I would agree

    I think that this is the first post that you have ever made that I agree with. Usually your uninformed, uneducated, Republican-blowing posts evoke images of some of the characters in Deliverance (and not Burt Reynolds). However, with this post, I almost think that you may have read at least a magazine once. Good on you.
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  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Songburst wrote:
    Usually your uninformed, uneducated, Republican-blowing posts


    and here I thought were trying to be sincere. uniformed? sometimes I post out of passion instead of facts. uneducated? sorry I am very educated. republican-blowing? you dont read my posts close enough
  • SongburstSongburst Posts: 1,195
    jlew24asu wrote:
    and here I thought were trying to be sincere. uniformed? sometimes I post out of passion instead of facts. uneducated? sorry I am very educated. republican-blowing? you dont read my posts close enough

    Maybe it's because I have only read the hot-button posts lately, but you really come across as the prototypical NASCAR-loving, gun-toting, hot-headed Republican who can't or won't see just how much worse the current administration has made the whole world. Now, I'm not saying that the Democrats could or would have done any better, but you have to see just how bad your leaders are right now. I just can't fathom anybody supporting them.
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  • robbierobbie Posts: 883
    jlew24asu wrote:
    and here I thought were trying to be sincere. uniformed? sometimes I post out of passion instead of facts. uneducated? sorry I am very educated. republican-blowing? you dont read my posts close enough


    i have to back jlew24asu on this one...... he blew me and im not a republican.
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    Songburst wrote:
    I think that this is the first post that you have ever made that I agree with. Usually your uninformed, uneducated, Republican-blowing posts evoke images of some of the characters in Deliverance (and not Burt Reynolds). However, with this post, I almost think that you may have read at least a magazine once. Good on you.
    I rarely agree with anything jlew24asu says but he is one of more intelligent posters here. He doesn't just parrot O'Reilly's or Rush - he has his own opinions and defends them mercilessly.:D
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