A former Ohio bus driver who was forced to resign after her expletive-filled tirade against students went viral has received over $100,000 from donors.
Jackie Miller, 68, had been driving buses for Amherst Exempted Village Schools, a school district outside of Cleveland, for two-and-a-half years before a spritz of perfume caused her to launch into a two-minute rant against her young passengers, The Washington Post reported.
Miller, who is allergic to perfume, suffered a perfume-induced asthma attack one month prior to the incident. “I had to stop the bus, grab my inhaler and try to get my lungs to open up again,” Miller told WKYC. “I had all the kids open up all the windows. They know this.”
Despite her request that students refrain from spraying perfume on the bus, it happened again on March 29 and Miller reportedly “lost it.”
Jackie Miller, an Ohio bus driver, resigned after a video of a March 29 incident when she yelled at students with expletives circulated online.
People across the country have rallied around Miller, calling themselves #Teambusdriver. https://t.co/gUmwfG6M0Q
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 11, 2023
“How much more do you expect me to fucking take?” she screamed at the students. “I’m going to start kicking some fucking serious ass. Do you hear me? My foot’s going to be so far up your goddamn ass, it’s going to dangle out your goddamn nose.”
Miller explained to WKYC that this particular group of students had caused her problems for the past two years and that she had finally had her fill. “This is a plight of all bus drivers, we are treated in the worst possible sense of the word,” Miller told the outlet. “We are treated with such lack of respect.”
“I will never take back what I said, but I do regret the delivery,” she told the Washington Post.
Miller later resigned from her position as a bus driver after district superintendent Mike Molnar sent a letter to parents the day of the incident, expressing his concern over Miller’s actions.
“The behavior exhibited by the bus driver is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” he wrote.
Miller’s actions, however, resonated with school employees and bus drivers across the country who have endured similar treatment from students. Seeing the video prompted Ohio resident Jeff Grob to set up a GoFundMe account on Miller’s behalf. (RELATED: High School Student Violently Attacks English Teacher Reportedly After Poor Classroom Evaluation)
“I know she got a little out of character, but we’ve all gotten to that point with our kids at some point, and then we’re not proud,” Grob told the Post.
Donations quickly shot past the initial goal of $10,000, totaling over $100,000.
“I’m just so happy that she’s going to get to do things in life that she’s so selflessly put aside to take care of these kids,” Grob told the Post.
Miller told the outlet she plans to pay off her car loan with a portion of the money. As for a new job, Miller isn’t sure what the future holds, but maintained, “I don’t think I’ll work with kids anymore.”