'Not See' Vanity Plates Gets California School Bus Driver Suspended, Parents Relieved
A San Diego Unified School District bus driver has been suspended from his job over his personal vanity plates that support Nazism after several complaints were filed with the school district.
The bus driver, identified as Shawn Calpito, was placed on leave while his employer investigates reports that his license plates read "not see," a spelling variation for "Nazi," school officials said. The plates were directly under a swastika decal which aided in the determination.
"This concern was brought to the district's attention yesterday. School bus driver Shawn Calpito has been placed on leave pending investigation," the school district said in a statement.
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Along with being suspended by the San Diego School District, Calpito, of Kearny Mesa, Calif., was ordered by the Department of Motor Vehicles to surrender his license plates, KGTV reported Wednesday.
Civil rights attorney Jim McElroy told KGTV that the DMV regulates vanity plates, but Calpito was cunning in how he asked for the vanity plates.
"This one is so subtle that without the other symbol, there's no way for someone regulating this to realize this is supporting Nazis," McElroy said. "This is a guy who is promoting racial hatred," he added
Parents said they were concerned that Calpito might promote his political and racial views to students while he was working.
"It offends me, personally," parent Barbara Vickers told KGTV "He doesn't have to change his opinion, but just think of what he's doing for a job."
Parents of children who may have been driven to school by Calpito say they are relieved he isn't driving anymore.
"Yeah, he could influence them. He could say certain things. They know what they're doing. They know how to brainwash. They know how to do these things," a parent said.
