A praying school bus driver in Minnesota who is also a pastor was fired after complaints were filed. The bus driver, George Nathaniel, said he wanted to help children start their day with prayer.
George Nathaniel, 49, of Richfield doubles as a pastor and a school bus driver for the Burnsville school district, reported the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He was in his second year that was contracted under the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage district.
The school district issued a warning to Nathaniel about praying, assigning him to two new routes.
But he continued to pray.
“I let them know I am a pastor and I am going to pray,” he told the paper.
When he started to lead prayers on the new routes, he was subsequently fired by the company.
“There have been more complaints of religious material on the bus as well as other complaints regarding performance. In accordance with the previous final written warning you received, your employment is hereby terminated,” it said.
According to Gawker, his routine would last around seven minutes.
“We start out with a song,” he said. “Then each person will pray if they want to pray. If they don’t want to pray, they don’t have to pray. Then I will pray and ask them if they want to join me in prayer. Just give them something constructive and positive to go to school with.”
“A couple of routes I had children that chose not to pray and that was fine,” he added, according to CBS.
ACLU legal director Teresa Nelson told the station that he was in violation of the First Amendment by praying.
“The school bus is a captive audience,” she told CBS. “When he is driving the bus he is acting like a school official and he does not have the right to proselytize or promote religion in that context.”
