A school bus driver in Brooklyn has been suspended after delivering an unsolicited 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 apparently occurred during a morning route to Brooklyn Prospect International Elementary Charter School.
According to accounts from parents and students, the driver abruptly pulled the bus over and launched into a religious rant, proclaiming Jesus as the only saviour 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 the 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, has explicitly condemned this narrative, emphasising that collective blame cannot be assigned to Jewish people.
“He said Jews killed Jesus,” one parent claimed, noting that a Jewish child was visibly shaken and cried during the ride. Some students apparently began texting their parents mid-incident, expressing confusion and discomfort.
The children reportedly 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 Jofaz for student transportation, stated the driver will not be driving students while the company investigates.
Outraged parents said the driver had abused his authority. One said: “It’s unacceptable—especially from someone entrusted with our children’s safety.”
