A school bus driver in Brooklyn has been suspended after delivering an unsolicited and deeply troubling religious lecture to a group of elementary school students, including antisemitic remarks that left at least one child in tears, the New York Post reported on Monday.
The incident occurred during a morning route to Brooklyn Prospect International Elementary Charter School. According to accounts by parents and students, the driver abruptly pulled the bus over and launched into a religious rant, proclaiming Jesus as the only savior and encouraging the children to accept Christian beliefs.
“The only one who can deliver you isn’t religion, it’s Jesus,” the driver reportedly said, while handing out white hats inscribed with a black cross and the words, “I Am With You Always.”
He also allegedly asked the children to join him in prayer and spoke at length about sin, salvation and the afterlife.
Tensions rose further when a student asked if Jesus was Jewish, prompting the driver to revive an age-old antisemitic trope that Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death—a claim long rejected by mainstream Christian teachings, including the Catholic Church. The Vatican, in its 1965 Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions or Nostra Aetate, has explicitly condemned this narrative, emphasizing that collective blame cannot be assigned to Jewish people.
“He said Jews killed Jesus,” one parent recalled, noting that a Jewish child was visibly shaken and cried during the ride. Some students began texting their parents mid-incident, expressing confusion and discomfort.
The children arrived at school about 30 minutes late. The school later confirmed in a message to families on Friday that the driver had indeed stopped the bus to make religious statements and distribute materials. School officials said they immediately contacted the driver’s employer, Jofaz Transportation, to file a complaint and request a new driver.
The New York City Department of Education, which contracts with Jofaz for student transportation, stated the driver will not be transporting students while the company investigates.
Outraged parents said the driver had abused his authority. “He held the kids captive,” one parent said. “It’s unacceptable, especially from someone entrusted with our children’s safety.”