‘DEI wokeness’: Beloved school-bus driver breaks her silence after being fired for ‘English only’ sign
The U.S. Justice Department is now investigating the case of a Pennsylvania school bus driver fired for posting a sign saying “no speaking Spanish on this bus.”
Diane Crawford, a 66-year-old who has been at the wheel for more than three decades for the Juniata County School District, told local news media she posted the sign because of a rowdy bilingual student who had been bullying others in Spanish. She was fired in February, and now after 10 months is finally going public with her story.
The sign stated: “Out of respect to English-only students, there will be no speaking Spanish on this bus! Owner/Management.”
Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Civil Rights department reposted the story on X, and noted: “This is deeply concerning. I have directed Civil Rights to open an investigation into this situation implicating DEI wokeness.”
This is deeply concerning. I have directed @CivilRights to open an investigation into this situation implicating DEI wokeness. EXCLUSIVE | Juanita County bus driver fired for ‘English-only’ sign fires back https://t.co/bRHrp9kfDK
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) December 22, 2025
“I didn’t mean to be racially insensitive or anything like that,” Crawford told WHP-TV last week in a tear-filled interview.
“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” the purported bully.
BREAKING: Beloved school bus driver in PA fired over sign asking kids to speak English pic.twitter.com/LUogFggtWE
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 22, 2025
“How do you keep control of your bus if you have no control? Even if it’s only over one kid, and even when you ask for help and don’t get any.”
“I don’t know what else to do. I’m on Medicare and Medicaid now and SNAP,” she said. “I had to go on antidepressants because of this.”
“I dedicated everything I had to driving a bus. And it was for the kids,” Crawford added. “I loved the kids. The kids loved me.”
In a joint statement provided to CBS 21, the district and Rohrer Bus, who contracted Crawford, said they were aware of her claims: “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.”
The statement also indicated that following the investigation, and after “careful consideration,” “the District and Rohrer determined that the conduct did not align with the standards and expectations for student transportation providers.”
When asked for comment regarding the DOJ’s entrance into the case, Crawford said she is “grateful for all the prayers and support that this community and now our country have and are showing me.”
She added it was “living a nightmare when they fired me overnight.”
“I felt like my dedication to driving bus for 35 years meant nothing to the school district administration, and Rohrer bus, who was supposed to be managing transportation in the district. To be fired for asking for respect is unbelievable to me. I did ask for help. They literally threw me under the bus instead of helping me.”
The case has captured the attention of Elon Musk, calling it, “Messed up.”
Messed up https://t.co/Vba66GwZ6P
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 22, 2025
Author Erin Elizabeth noted: “I used to live in Pennsylvania, and those woke left have lost their ever loving minds. My friend who lives there explains how she’s Caucasian and they so often hate white people, but they will flood the state with illegal immigrants to help destroy it. Must be some satanic bs.”
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