“We don't serve your kind”

STO driver allegedly turns away student wearing headscarf 

 

Laurent Robillard-Cardinal

STO drivers are known for their friendly attitude, but an alleged incident on bus line 49, January 15, around 7 am could harm this image. A D'Arcy McGee student, who wears a headscarf, and an unidentified STO driver clashed when, said the student, the driver denied her entry to the bus, telling her, “We don't serve your kind.” She has asked The Bulletin not to publish her name. 

 

In response, the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) wrote the STO. “We are taking this very seriously. If any student was denied access to the bus, we need to know exactly what took place,” the STO’s Dominique Leclerc told The Bulletin. Students at D’Arcy McGee are mobilizing to educate about peace and respect in response to the event.

 

The STO reacted promptly, and is attempting to gather more information. “One of our managers met with the young lady and high school staff in an attempt to identify the driver, as there are multiple drivers on line 49. The student was unable to identify the driver. On Monday (January 19) we again met with the student and the school principal, to identify the driver and to set the exact time of the incident. 7:20 am had been cited, but the driver at that time was a woman and the student said that was impossible. We backtracked, but to no avail.” Unable to identify the driver, the student proposed she take the same bus at the same time on the same day, a Thursday, to see if the situation would repeat itself. “She was to follow up with us, but we have not heard anything from her yet,” said Leclerc.

 

With the two unsuccessful meetings, the STO has been unable to talk to the driver to obtain his side of the story. “We can’t meet with every driver of that line,” insisted Leclerc. Given these ambiguities, the STO cannot say what sanctions the STO driver could face.