Parents Rally Behind Bus Driver Fired For Letting Boy Help Hurt Cat

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — More than 800 Harford County parents have signed a petition to reinstate a school bus driver after she was fired for allowing a student to leave the bus to rescue an injured cat.

Bus driver Cynthia Morgan was terminated last week after allowing the student, identified as 10-year-old boy Alex Thomas, to hop off the bus and help the animal, which was found along Heaps School Road, a rural roadway, according to WJZ. Morgan was assigned to North Harford Elementary School.

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"We live in North Harford, so it's very rural out here, off of Heaps School Road, a very low-traffic road," parent Carolyn Kalambihis told WJZ. "She wouldn't have done it, let a child get off the bus to get a kitten if it was a more high-traffic road."

Kalambihis said people recognize the potential safety risks, but said she believes Morgan understands that allowing a student off the bus was a mistake.

"It's definitely a concern for safety. There is no question that it was a mistake," Kalambihis told WJZ. "It shouldn't have happened. I believe she knows that and understands, and looking back, knows she made a mistake and should not have done what she did."

The student was the only child on the bus at the time the driver pulled over, according to Baltimore Sun, which reported that after dropping the boy off at school, the injured cat remained with the driver so she could find help for it.

Alex's mom, Taffy Thomas, told the Baltimore Sun that her son "would have been devastated" if he couldn't have helped the animal.

"The fact that she was let go because of an act of kindness does really weigh on him," Taffy added. "That is unforgivable and cruel."

Morgan, 67, who has driven buses for Harford County Public Schools for 11 years, said she was crushed by the school district's decision, People Magazine reported.

Some parents have spoken out in support of Morgan and believe the decision to fire her was too harsh and unjust. So far, a petition demanding the school district reinstate Morgan has gotten nearly 7,000 signatures as of Sunday, Oct. 11.

"Cynthia is a valued member of our community and her dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of our children is unmatched. As a parent who has personally witnessed her commitment, I am starting this petition to ask for her immediate reinstatement," Julie Long, who created the petition, wrote.

"Over the years, Cynthia has become more than just a bus driver to our children; she is someone they look forward to seeing every morning and afternoon. Her kind and warm nature makes the pupils feel safe and comfortable. This is not just my personal sentiment – countless parents and students share the same view. Her abrupt dismissal is a loss not just for the students who ride her bus but for our community at large," Long noted.

The petition states that a two-day suspension would suffice, not termination.

"We just feel the way that it was handled was not appropriate," Kalambihis said, emphasizing that it was not a high-traffic road. "We feel that termination was a little excessive."

In a statement obtained by WJZ and the Sun, HCPS said student safety "remains our top priority, and all certification decisions are made with that responsibility in mind."

"Certification and decertification are not always based on a single factor but often involve consideration of multiple circumstances and requirements," the district stated, although they noted Morgan was employed by an independent contractor, identified by the outlets as Cleary Transportation Inc.