South Glens Falls school leaders are working with a school bus driver about a controversial incident on a bus.
Freshman Aaren Sweenor says students were getting on the after-school bus Wednesday when the bus driver told the students that boys and girls need to sit on different sides. Sweenor and Leo Washington, both friends, identify themselves as trans/non-binary, meaning they don’t see themselves as male or female. They sat on the boys side.
The two say the bus driver wanted them on the girls side. When they didn’t, they say he angrily kicked them off the bus.
“We kept trying to explain to him the situation about our gender identity, and he was saying he didn’t care," said Washington.
“He told us that this is his bus, and he’s not starting the bus until he gets what he wants. He said that after I told him that I was comfortable and I’m going to sit where I’m comfortable," said Sweenor.
Cell phone video was taken by a student. They went straight to school administrators, who contacted the students' parents.
"I’m not looking angrily to get the guy fired, even though the situation was pretty terrible," Sweenor said. "I want them to learn and understand what he’s doing, and to understand who trans people are and how to treat them."
“It has nothing to do with the school,” said sophomore Lilly Wolfe. "The school is a fantastic school; it was just the one bus driver."
Aaren says they have both heard from school leaders, who say they are supporting the two. The district also says they are working with the driver on how this situation could have been handled differently, adding further gender sensitivity training will be scheduled for all staff.