Let me pose this question: Would you have fired the "sorry a$$" of someone in your employ if it was revealed to you that they had "flipped off" Bill Clinton?
I'm just saying, flipping somebody the bird is just a gesture, a meaningless, stupid one, but a gesture nonetheless. It only makes the flipper look like an idiot.
It doesn't matter, if it is my company, and that person violates the policy, and if it feel it would reflect bad on my bottom line, even if they flipped off Bill Clinton, then yes I would fire them. Business is business.
You seem to want to ignore or forget that this was a school bus driver on a bus full of children. Do you think that also has some bearing on the matter?
Fine, but just don't go around crying that someone's right to free speech is being violated.