Karen Klein to Retire as School Bus Monitor
by Free Britney at .Karen Klein, the Upstate New York bus monitor made famous by a viral video in which she was bullied by middle school boys, is planning to retire.
The announcement comes just one week after a web campaign effort padded the bus monitor's pockets with more than $700,000 in donations.
"I'm not quitting because of what happened. That's not it," Klein, the 68-year-old bus monitor, told The AP. "I enjoyed working with the kids."
"I guess it's just my time to leave. That's what I've decided."
In the video, Klein is shown sitting on a school bus as teen boys hurl the most vile insults at her for over 10 minutes, eventually making her cry.
The video has been reposted so many times it's impossible to tell how many times it's been viewed, but Klein obviously became a cause celebre.
Max Sidorov, 25, was inspired to start the campaign on Indiegogo (dot) com, writing "Lets Give Karen – the bus monitor – Klein a Vacation!"
Although Sidorov's goal was to raise $5,000 by July, the site drew in $703,833 from 30,000 donors in all 50 states and more than 84 countries.
"I think people love rallying around a cause, especially helping someone in need or who has been abused or can't stand up for themselves," Sidorov said.
"It just shows there are so many great people in the world. It warms my heart."
Klein wants to donate some of her money to Mary Cariola Children's Center and School of the Holy Childhood, she told WHAM-TV in Rochester, NY.
Four bullies from the Greece, N.Y., Central School District outside Rochester have been suspended for one year and perform community service.
The bullies later apologized; Klein did not accept.
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Comments (10 Total)
For the ones that agree with poison apple, I suggest go get your school bus license and try to see if you can do a better job. It is very difficult to drive a school bus up to 26,000lbs, handle traffic, and then students. Then when it comes to disapline, the driver can't do anything because it may cause a lawsuit one way or the other. So if you don't have experience driving a school bus with these type of students, just shut up.
I'm with Carlos 100 percent on this. She earned her money,ALL of it, and as a matter of fact, I doubt she'd have signed up for the gig in the first place had she known what she'd be in for with those horrible little bastards.
Hey Carlos,do you know what looking out for our kids welfare means?If there are kids capable of bullying an adult on the bus,just think about how they are treating other kids.Obviously you think shes great for not doing her job,and that her not responding with yelling and profanity was the right and only thing to do,however,you are too ridiculous to see the big picture.Nice way to respond to a comment you don't agree with,using the vocabulary of a middle school bully riding the bus.Having a different opinion does not make someones cunt slimy,that would be an infection.BTW,welfare isn't just that check your baby's mom collects
Poor, poor Karen. If those were my kids, a trip to the "wood shed" would be! The children's behavior was a reflection of the way they were parented. Today's kids are all about entitlements versus privileges. I still think she deserves a big ol' fat settlement for from the school district for the way she was treated. No one deserves to be treated like the poor elderly woman was!
Hey, Poison Crappy-apple, she was hired to watch out for the welfare of the kids in the bus, to make sure they were safe. She was doing her job, she even told them to be quiet and leave her alone. If she would of yelled or given these nasty maggots a beating they really deserved this would've been a different story. She desrves every penny, those filthy rats deserve public humiliation. So "F" you and all you other slimey (c)unts who think otherwise!