Originally Posted by doreenjoy

so the kids aren't responsible for their behavior?

I did NOT say that. Of COURSE they are.

Hand in hand, though, it's her responsibility, and her JOB - that is WHY she is on the bus - to STOP them from behaving in this way.

It's a circle - but all in all, I feel as though she was the adult in charge and failed to act the way she should, and perhaps isn't ideal to have working in that position.

If those kids had been picking on another 13 year old girl on the bus - calling the girl the same names, etc., do you think that she would have been able to stop them?

The boys in my class in grammar school acted this way too - and this was 15 years ago. This isn't a changing of the times - this was kids sniffing out a weak link and preying on it. I stand by my opinion.

That has to be the most disgusting video I've ever watched. I don't understand what would posses these kids to say things like that to her. I hope they get into a hell of a lot of trouble for this.

Originally Posted by SunglassLove

Giving her 480k for retirement to me, is insane. Donate it to a charity for bullying.

It's their money. They can send it to whom they please. You send your money to whom you please.

I'm guessing that most of the people who are criticising others for not donating to anti-bullying programs haven't donated a single dollar to one themselves. They just can't let an opportunity to feel morally superior to the majority pass them by.

Originally Posted by SunglassLove

I'm sure everyone is going to hate me for saying this... but isn't it her JOB to STOP kids from acting like this - not sit there and cry, even acknowledge their questions about where she lives, etc.? I'm sorry, it does suck to be at the hands of a merciless 13 year old kid with a foul mouth... but she was the authority in the situation and she failed to act on it. If you can't do that, you don't belong in the position of "bus monitor." What the heck would she have done if something bad really did happen between children on the bus, not just them taunting her?? Giving her 480k for retirement to me, is insane. Donate it to a charity for bullying.

I actually feel the same way as you.
Yes, those kids deserve punishment. The focus should be on the behaviour and the cultural that has facilitated this kind of behavior as well as looking at way correcting such behavior. Giving money to an adult because she was a victim of taunting by a bunch of ruthless brats seems strange to me. There are people out there endured or suffered far worse in the realm of bullying than this granny, but we don't hold fundraisers for each one of them.

Originally Posted by SkylightTonight

It's their money. They can send it to whom they please. You send your money to whom you please. I'm guessing that most of the people who are criticising others for not donating to anti-bullying programs haven't donated a single dollar to one themselves. They just can't let an opportunity to feel morally superior to the majority pass them by.

I actually let majority of the opportunities I disagree with the masses pass me by, on the contrary. This is one that I happen to feel strongly about. Having someone on the bus that will ALLOW a child to make a situation this extreme when they are supposed to be CONTROLLING it (and are probably getting paid to do so) isn't okay in my book.

Again, I'm not saying "those awesome kids! That old lady deserved it!"... but, she shouldn't be in the position if she can't handle a situation like that.

And I do donate to many charities, every chance I get. I also volunteer, every chance I get. The amount and which specifically are no ones concern but my own.

Originally Posted by TokyoBound

I just can't even put into words how distraught I feel for Karen Klein and how outraged I am at both the kids and their parents. The vile things they said to her make me want to vomit. From what I've read, most of the parents are pulling the "well he was only 13 so he didn't know what he was doing" excuse. I think the parents should donate generously to Karen's vacation/retirement fund, and make their kids work their a**es off to repay them. And take away all their "toys" - donate the video games, ipads, computers and TVs to charity, and leave them with just a bed and whatever they need to do their homework.

This is how my parents would have handled things if I even did something half this terrible as a kid! But I was actually raised to treat people with respect so doing something this disgusting never would have happened anyway. Also disgusting to know that the parents are siding with their kids because that is why the kids are turning out to be bullies like that. Let's see how they grow up and handle the real world when they talk to their future boss like that. See how far they get in life when they don't have their parents to back them up.

On a sort of related unrelated note: Did you see the guy that started up the fund for her on TV?? Yeah I heard he is from Canada could someone hook me up please???

Originally Posted by SunglassLove

I actually let majority of the opportunities I disagree with the masses pass me by, on the contrary. This is one that I happen to feel strongly about. Having someone on the bus that will ALLOW a child to make a situation this extreme when they are supposed to be CONTROLLING it (and are probably getting paid to do so) isn't okay in my book. Again, I'm not saying "those awesome kids! That old lady deserved it!"... but, she shouldn't be in the position if she can't handle a situation like that.

I agree with you. The bus monitor job has never been easy as their has always been some type of bullying or other rowdy behavior on buses. I remember having one in the 80s and it definitely had to be a person with tough skin that knew how to handle situations like this. This brats should count their blessing that someone like my mom wasn't the bus monitor - this would be a totally different story. And the parents to these brats should be ashamed of themselves. When your child does something wrong, you punish them - not justify it. And then they wonder why junior won't listen to them or their rules.

Watching that video made me feel sad for her, but also made me upset because there was no way I'd take that crap from some 13 year old brats. Bish please. Pass math first you jerks and then we can talk.

God Bless that woman.

Children get mean and meaner everyday.
They didn't apologize, their parents made them.
I'm sorry if people don't agree, but I honestly think the only way they would be sincerely apologetic, they would publicly make an apology themselves on tv or something.

Honestly, you can only be so thick skinned. They told her her family should kill themselves when her son actually did. So...yeah...she cried. So would most people, bus monitor or not. That isn't something you say to anyone ever. And if the money that people donate out of the goodness of their hearts can help her feel better then she deserves every penny sent her way. It makes me feel really good that so many people care and hopefully she feels the same way.

That said, I don't think the kids should be in the public eye. There are some crazy people out there that could take things too far. I think leaving the situation in the hands of the police is most effective. These kids need some sort of firm punishment and we all know it won't come from the parents.

This story totally broke my heart and I just wanna give this woman a big hug!

I couldn't watch all of this video. It's disgusting. Those kids are disgusting and vile and I don't feel sorry for them if they are now getting a taste of their own medicine.

Originally Posted by ellacoach

I couldn't watch all of this video. It's disgusting. Those kids are disgusting and vile and I don't feel sorry for them if they are now getting a taste of their own medicine.

+1

They issued death threats to an elderly woman, for pity's sake. "i know where you live...I'm gonna put a knife in you."

They deserve a little public vilification

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

+1 They issued death threats to an elderly woman, for pity's sake. "i know where you live...I'm gonna put a knife in you." They deserve a little public vilification

agreed!!

Those kids were very cruel and I couldn't watch the whole video either. However, they should have someone who can handle kids to be a monitor - not someone who becomes the victim. She reacted the same as one of their peers would have. I guess she must have thought being a bus monitor would be easier.
I feel for her but I see no reason for people to give her half a million dollars.
Those kids should get some sort of community service that teaches them sensitivity and this lady should get a job that doesn't require any having authority over others.

Originally Posted by sdkitty

Those kids were very cruel and I couldn't watch the whole video either. However, they should have someone who can handle kids to be a monitor - not someone who becomes the victim..

If you didn't watch the whole video, you don't know how vicious the attack was.

Originally Posted by SunglassLove

I'm sure everyone is going to hate me for saying this... but isn't it her JOB to STOP kids from acting like this - not sit there and cry, even acknowledge their questions about where she lives, etc.? I'm sorry, it does suck to be at the hands of a merciless 13 year old kid with a foul mouth... but she was the authority in the situation and she failed to act on it. If you can't do that, you don't belong in the position of "bus monitor." What the heck would she have done if something bad really did happen between children on the bus, not just them taunting her?? Giving her 480k for retirement to me, is insane. Donate it to a charity for bullying.

Do not blame the victim.

What exactly was she supposed to do? She's paid $15k a year. She's not a police officer. All she can do is report their behavior to the school which she has done and nothing has ever happened (until now).