Bullying of bus monitor

Published:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/bullying-bus-monitor-sparks-amazing-compassion-campaign-video-143135242.html

 

 

Bullying of bus monitor sparks amazing compassion campaign (VIDEO)

By Jason Sickles

Staff Writer

By Jason Sickles | The Lookout – 1 hr 31 mins ago

 

The video is heartbreaking:  a pack of junior high boys berating a 68-year-old school bus monitor in upstate New York. She's brought to tears as the students pepper her with profane put-downs about her weight, age, livelihood and more.

"You're not sweating?" one kid asks her. "Why's there water down your face?"

"I'm crying," she responds.

"She probably misses her box of Twinkies," taunts another boy.

But for all the bad brought on by the juveniles, comes an even better story of compassion and goodwill.

The viral video, which one of the boys reportedly posted on Facebook, has caught the attention of thousands of people who've pledged nearly $200,000 to send Karen Klein on a vacation.

The astonishing outpouring of support was started by Max Sidorov, a 25-year-old Toronto nutritionist who saw the video and on Wednesday launched a campaign on the crowd-source fundraising website Indiegogo.

"She doesn't earn nearly enough ($15,506) to deal with some of the trash she is surrounded by," Sidorov wrote on the site. "Let's give her something she will never forget, a vacation of a lifetime!"

His initial goal of $5,000 was shattered within hours. Strangers from around the world have shared the story on social networks and pledged amounts of $5 to hundreds.

"Karen, I am sorry for what you have endured," a woman commented on the campaign page. "Humanity and kind heartedness does still exist."

Sidorov says he knows why so many have responded so quickly.

"Bullies," he told the Los Angeles Times. "That's the real reason. People want to stand up for the little guy, and everybody just forwarded it. I just had a good idea, and everybody else took it and ran with it."

Klein, a grandmother who drove a school bus for 20 years and has been a monitor for three, said she's "kind of numb" from the generosity.

School officials and police in Greece, N.Y., are now investigating.

"Sometimes you expect kids to be like they acted, but not that bad. They weren't that bad all year," Klein told WYSR-TV.  "That one day, I don't know what possessed them."

The father of one of the boys has apologized.

"My heart broke," he told ABC News. "I couldn't believe my son could treat another human being like that."

Nor can a network of good Samaritans who have righted a despicable wrong.

Entry #181

Comments

Avatar PERDUE -
#1
These kids should thank GOD I'm not their parent.
I'd still be beating their asses. Yes I said beating their asses. I'd give them a way-way back in the day ass whoopping that would make them hate the day they were born. And when I finist I'd make them apologize to the monitor and to all of the other students that they disrespected that was on that bus.
And when children services show up at my door I'd give them the same ass whoopping I gave these disrespectful little f***ers.
Enough said.......
Avatar time*treat -
#2
She'd better not spend it all, the state and feds are gonna "give her something she will never forget", too -- their filthy paws out for about $80,000 in taxes.
Avatar PERDUE -
#3
I hope not.
It's sad when everytime you turn around everybody gets paid but you.
You do right and you end up screwed.
Avatar MmeFlorida -
#4
I believe these juvenile delinquents have already been publicly named, maybe a good public shaming should teach them a good lesson. How sad it was to watch a 68 year old women who was only trying to be helpful get taunted for no apparent reason. Shameful. Hopefully Karen can enjoy her money... and a have a lovely vacation as well.
Avatar sully16 -
#5
omg, if that was my kid.......omg, a^^ beating would not have been enough, that little punk, needs his head examined.
Avatar rdgrnr -
#6
That was one of the saddest things I ever saw.

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