School Bus Driver Fired For Posting On Facebook About Student Who Couldn’t Afford Lunch [POLL]
A school bus driver was fired after posting on Facebook to express his outrage over a student being 40 cents short on his school lunch.
This is Johnny Cook, a school bus driver for in Georgia. Until a few weeks ago, he drove busses for Haralson County Middle School, until a middle schooler got on his bus in May for the ride home and told him he was hungry.
When the student told Cook he'd been denied a school lunch because his pre-paid cafeteria card was 40 cents short, Cook became outraged. So much so that he took to his Facebook page and vented about his frustration a seeing a young child denied a meal.
Here's the Facebook post that got Cook fired:
School officials immediately terminated Cook when they learned of his post.
But the story stuck with school parents, many of whom have posted dozens of messages of support, even telling Cook their own stories of children turned away for school lunches.
In response to the community's questions over Cook's firing, school officials are now saying the student in question never actually went through the lunch line.
But Cook says he stands by the student, and even posted a follow up on Facebook, with a statement from the unnamed young boy.
The bus driver says he has received thousands of messages of support since the story broke, and is unwavering in his stance. He has now started a Facebook group called "Johnny's Kids," aimed at raising awareness about school lunch policies.
So what do you think? Was Cook wrongfully fired for speaking out? Or is the school right for terminating someone for criticizing them in a public forum? Take our poll and tell us here now: