Wednesday June 2, 2010
CAUGHT ON TAPE: School Bus Driver Brings Girl to Tears for Opposing Gay ‘Marriage’
School won’t reprimand driver who called student “Stupid Little Bigot”
By Kathleen Gilbert
CARMEL, Indiana, May 27, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An Indiana family has filed a civil lawsuit against a local school bus driver caught on tape harassing their daughter to the point of tears and calling her a “stupid little bigot” based on her pro-family views.
Several news stations reported the story with video from a school bus camera capturing Carmel School Bus Driver Betty Campbell’s tirades, sparked after the girl said she would not have voted for President Obama based on his pro-abortion and pro-same-sex “marriage” agenda. The exchange took place in November 2008, one day after Obama was elected to the presidency.
On the video, Campbell can be heard addressing a black student with reference to the pro-family student saying: “If she says anything racial to you, I want to know about it ’cause I’m going to eat her alive. I mean it.” After the student said he did not listen to the girl, Campbell replied, “Well, you’re a smart guy, and Rachael is a stupid little bigot.”
“That’s not someone looking out for someone. That’s someone out to get somebody,” remarked Dr. Ed Zimmer, the girl’s father.
Campbell is heard in another portion of the footage telling students: “If you can’t believe in tolerance toward one another, you don’t belong here. You belong in a parochial church school.”
In addition, the parents note that after dropping off the students along with their daughter and her sister, Campbell summoned the two girls back onto the bus, without their parents’ consent. There, the bus driver lectured the girl on reasons to support same-sex “marriage” as the student can be seen on the school bus camera footage crying.
“I don’t want to hear one more word about anyone going to hell if they are gay or if they’re Buddhist or whatever, ’cause it’s none of your damn business,” Campbell can be heard saying in a separate portion of the video. However, Zimmer said during a deposition that Campbell admitted under oath she had never heard the girl actually say those words, according to a CBS report.
Carmel Clay Schools refused to fire Campbell, reportedly denying some of the parents’ claims; Zimmer told news outlets that the school told him Campbell was “working within the scope of her employment.”
The girl’s parents sued the school district in August 2009, alleging emotional distress was inflicted upon their daughter, and seeking to make the district pay damages and court costs. The trial is scheduled to begin in December.
Attempts by LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) to reach Dr. Zimmer were unanswered as of press time. Dana Kendall, assistant to the superintendent at Carmel Clay Schools, declined to comment to LSN on Zimmer’s statements or on whether Campbell had been disciplined because of the pending litigation.
See ABC Video.
To contact:
Carmel Clay Schools
Jeff Swensson, Superintendent
(317) 844-9961 x.1048
[email protected]
Ron Farrand, Director, Facilities and Transportation
(317) 844-9961 x.2303
[email protected]