School bus prober hit with threat

Someone believed to work in the Department of Education texted a nasty threat directed at an investigator raising questions about vetting of school bus drivers and his boss.

The threat was sent to a clerical assistant who works for investigator Eric Reynolds and his boss Ralph Manente, a retired NYPD lieutenant.

The Daily News has been writing a series of stories about failures in the vetting of bus drivers with criminal records, and about allegations that Reynolds’ signature and email address were fraudulently used to approve about 760 drivers without his knowledge.

“I don’t know who the hell you think you are,” the virulent message read. “Always running your mouth and laughing about others. Because of you and your boss, people are going to lose their jobs and possibly get arrested. You think that’s funny? These people have families. There are ears and they listen to everything you say. Keep it up and it will will be used against you. You are such an a--hole and walk so proud that you are. And make sure you tell your friends.”

The phone number appears to link to a service that allows crackpots to anonymously make threats.

Education Department spokeswoman Miranda Barbot said the matter is being probed by the city’s special commissioner of investigation.

“Department of Education staff should feel safe and supported in the workplace, and any behavior that makes an employee feel unsafe for simply doing their job is completely unacceptable,” Barbot said.

Meanwhile, Reynolds, a retired NYPD detective, went to the 108th Precinct stationhouse Monday morning and tried to file a criminal complaint Monday against Education Department officials who used his signature and email address without his knowledge on as many as 763 letters approving bus drivers.

But cops in the Queens precinct declined to take the complaint.

A crime analysis sergeant shrugged and told Reynolds, “We can’t really do anything with this.”

The exchange was witnessed by a Daily News reporter.