Rutgers University Students Rally for Bus Driver Forced to Resign for Praying
Kudos to the Rutgers students who are standing up for this man.
FOX News reports.
Students rally for Rutgers University bus driver who says prayer led to his dismissal
Students at Rutgers University are rallying for the reinstatement of a campus bus driver who says he was pressured to resign after praying for a disabled passenger, but the company says he was ousted over a safety violation.
Stan McNeil, a retired firefighter who aspires to become a Christian pastor, said in a YouTube video that he placed his hand on a woman in a wheelchair and asked God to heal her.
“She’s going to get a miracle. She’s going to end up walking, and I still believe that,” he said.
But McNeil said the company told him afterward that “we don’t need your services anymore,” according to the Newark Star-Ledger.
“They said we don’t do that here,” he added, noting that the company that he worked for, First Transit, has warned him in the past for similar prayers. McNeil also said officials told him that a video recorded on the bus of the prayer showed that he did not use the proper number of straps to secure the disabled student.
First Transit said the company respects McNeil’s religious beliefs, but said he chose to resign for a safety violation, which they did not elaborate on, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.
“This case is about safety, which is a core value of First Transit,” spokeswoman Stephenie Creech said in a statement. “Unfortunately, a full internal review revealed that Mr. McNeil had failed to follow a critical safety protocol that was cause for immediate termination. When advised of his violation, Mr. McNeil chose to resign.”
Students have since rallied for McNeil’s cause on social media sites, including posting videos of his sermons on YouTube and Facebook. A petition on Change.org calling for McNeil’s job back has garnered nearly 6,000 signatures as of Wednesday morning.
Students rally for Rutgers University bus driver who says prayer led to his dismissal (FOX News)