HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Parents rallied around a fired school bus driver for Harford County Public Schools by circulating a petition to reinstate her. Now, a GoFundMe has been created to help support the bus driver during her loss of employment.
An appeal also has been filed to formally challenge Harford County Public School's decision to terminate the bus driver, according to the GoFundMe. The petition currently has more than 10,000 signatures.
Bus driver Cynthia Morgan was terminated recently after allowing a student, identified as 10-year-old Alex Thomas, to hop off the bus and help the animal, which was found along Heaps School Road, a rural roadway. Morgan was assigned to North Harford Elementary School.
"Our community is not staying quiet. An online reinstatement petition on Change.org has exploded with support, quickly accumulating over 7,000 signatures from parents, neighbors and supporters worldwide who believe her termination was an excessive overreaction. ...We are fighting to get this beloved face back behind the wheel where she belongs," the GoFundMe stated.
While the legal appeal works its way through the system and the petition continues to gain momentum, Morgan remains unemployed, the GoFundMe says.
"We are raising funds to support Cynthia during this stressful transition. Your donations will help cover her lost wages, legal/appeal-related logistics. Whether you're a parent whose child rode Cynthia's bus, a neighbor who believes in rewarding human kindness or someone touched by this story from afar, please consider contributing and sharing. Let's show Cynthia that compassion matters and that our community stands together to protect our own," the GoFundMe reads.
Parent Carolyn Kalambihis told WJZ that where the bus stopped happens to be "very rural" off of Heaps School Road.
"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.
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 kitten 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.
PETA joined the fight Tuesday and sent a letter urging the Board of Education of Harford County to return Morgan to her North Harford Elementary School route. PETA stated that a kitten left stranded beside the road risks being run over by a car, going hungry or thirsty, suffering from exposure or being attacked by predators.
"A child who stops to help a kitten in danger is showing exactly the compassion and respect for others that schools should nurture," says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O'Brien. "Kindness should be encouraged, not punished, and PETA is calling on the school board to reinstate Morgan and send students the right message about helping others in need."
Related:
Parents Rally Behind Bus Driver Fired For Letting Boy Help Hurt Cat
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Bel Air Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.