An Idaho bus driver was fired after a video surfaced online showing the driver in a heated argument with a student and the driver pouring water on the student.
The Northside Bus Company told KTVB on Saturday that Mary Black was fired, but didn’t offer any details into her dismissal except saying there was a personnel issue.
A Jerome High School freshman recorded the video and it showed Black pouring water over an eighth grader. The freshman told KTVB that the incident happened after his friend was blamed for throwing a water bottle. The freshman said he was then accused of influencing the ordeal.
“She tried to take his phone away and when she didn't get to do that, she just grabbed the water bottle and started getting him wet,” the student said.
The video purportedly captures Black demanding one of the students to speak in English and goes on a rant about how she doesn’t understand Spanish.
“I don't understand Spanish. I'm not going to learn it. I live in America and it's an English-speaking country. So if you want to speak to me, speak to me in English,” Black purportedly said on the video.
Juan Espino, a family friend of the student who recorded the video, posted the video and told the station that it wasn’t the first time Black had said something like this.
“He told me he was told by the bus driver that it was not allowed to speak in Spanish while riding the bus,” Espino said.
Espino said he had contacted the bus company when previous allegations came to light, but the company said they couldn’t do anything because there was no evidence. He said once there was a video of one of the incidents, he had to do something.
“It's not something that we wish for, and not something that I would want to, but there will be consequences in everything that you do in life will be consequences,” Espino added.
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