Death threats leveled at heartless bullies who drove bus aide to tears with their vile taunts
Fundraising yields 6-figure bonanza for bullied bus monitor in viral video as one student's family reports death threats
Overwhelming support mounted for 68-year-old Karen Klein, a school bus monitor in upstate New York. The clip, recorded on one of the bully’s cell phones, shows Klein being mercilessly tormented by students on the bus home.
Overwhelming support mounted for 68-year-old Karen Klein, a school bus monitor in upstate New York, after a cell phone video of the cruel treatment was posted online. On “Today” Thursday morning, Matt Lauer called the students “narrow-minded monsters.
The father of one of the students heard heartlessly harassing and verbally abusing a school-bus monitor in a viral video has said his own family is now under attack.
"My family's received death threats," Robert Helms told ABC News. "He's a 13-year-old kid. "It was a stupid mistake and he's paying for it, but I just think it's a little out of control."
Helms said his "heart broke" when he learned his son was one of the school bus bullies seen tormenting 68-year-old Karen Klein, a school bus monitor in upstate New York.
Since cell phone video of the cruel treatment was posted online, overwhelming support mounted for Klein, and explosive fundraising efforts for her have reached nearly $175,000.
“I saw the video and really felt for Karen,” Max Sidorov, who set up the site where donations are being collected, told USA Today. “I have some experience with bullying from when I was young and what they were doing to her was just heartbreaking. The best thing I could think to do was start a fundraiser to send her on vacation.”
Video shows Klein trying to ignore the students' relentless attacks.
On the fundraising website Indiegogo.com, the figure on Karen’s page hit more than $100,000 on Thursday morning continued to rapidly increase — far more than Sidorov expected.
“It’s just huge,” the Toronto nutritionist said. “I thought it would get a few thousand dollars, maybe. But maybe she could retire on this.”
The page notes that Klein “doesn’t earn nearly enough ($15,606) to deal with some of the trash she is surrounded by.”
Klein, a widow, has worked for the Greece Central School District for more than two decades. She was a bus driver for 20 years, and has been a bus monitor for the past three years.
More than 1 million people have viewed the 10-minute video since it was uploaded to YouTube less than two days ago.
The clip, recorded on one of the bully’s cell phones, shows Klein being mercilessly tormented by students on the bus home from Athena Middle School in Greece, N.Y.
Some of the comments are particularly disturbing — at one point, a student tells Klein that if he stabbed her in the stomach, the knife would go through like butter, because “it’s all f---n’ lard.”
Another student asks her if she has an STD.
Klein, whose oldest son committed suicide 10 years ago, told ABC affiliate WHAM in Rochester that the most hurtful comment came when students said her family should kill themselves.
As the taunting continues, Klein tears up but says little, trying to ignore the cruel comments.
Klein, who appeared Thursday on “Good Morning America” and the “Today” show, told ABC News she won’t resign from her job as bus monitor.
“That’s not like me,” she said. “I’m not a real vindictive person. I just know I want something to happen to make them [the students\] realize what they did.”
RELATED: VIDEO OF SCHOOL BUS MONITOR BEING BULLIED SPARKS INVESTIGATION
On “Today” Thursday morning, Matt Lauer called the students “narrow-minded monsters,” and said that their parents should be ashamed.
Greece police have interviewed the students involved and are conducting an investigation.
School district officials say the students will be disciplined.
rmurray@nydailynews.com
WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC LANGUAGE. THE NEWS IS RUNNING THIS VIDEO UNEDITED TO SHOW THE EXTENT OF THE ABUSE TO WHICH THE SCHOOL BUS AIDE WAS SUBJECTED.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...nded-monsters-article-1.1099696#ixzz1yRpQSUBo
Making The Bus Monitor Cry
DONATE TO KAREN: http://www.indiegogo.com/loveforkarenhklein (Help her go on vacation and retire!)
Greece, NY
Bus #784
Students Involved:
Luis Recio
Wesley Helm
Brandon Teng
Joshua Slesak
Fundraising yields 6-figure bonanza for bullied bus monitor in viral video as one student's family reports death threats
Overwhelming support mounted for 68-year-old Karen Klein, a school bus monitor in upstate New York. The clip, recorded on one of the bully’s cell phones, shows Klein being mercilessly tormented by students on the bus home.
Overwhelming support mounted for 68-year-old Karen Klein, a school bus monitor in upstate New York, after a cell phone video of the cruel treatment was posted online. On “Today” Thursday morning, Matt Lauer called the students “narrow-minded monsters.
The father of one of the students heard heartlessly harassing and verbally abusing a school-bus monitor in a viral video has said his own family is now under attack.
"My family's received death threats," Robert Helms told ABC News. "He's a 13-year-old kid. "It was a stupid mistake and he's paying for it, but I just think it's a little out of control."
Helms said his "heart broke" when he learned his son was one of the school bus bullies seen tormenting 68-year-old Karen Klein, a school bus monitor in upstate New York.
Since cell phone video of the cruel treatment was posted online, overwhelming support mounted for Klein, and explosive fundraising efforts for her have reached nearly $175,000.
“I saw the video and really felt for Karen,” Max Sidorov, who set up the site where donations are being collected, told USA Today. “I have some experience with bullying from when I was young and what they were doing to her was just heartbreaking. The best thing I could think to do was start a fundraiser to send her on vacation.”
Video shows Klein trying to ignore the students' relentless attacks.
On the fundraising website Indiegogo.com, the figure on Karen’s page hit more than $100,000 on Thursday morning continued to rapidly increase — far more than Sidorov expected.
“It’s just huge,” the Toronto nutritionist said. “I thought it would get a few thousand dollars, maybe. But maybe she could retire on this.”
The page notes that Klein “doesn’t earn nearly enough ($15,606) to deal with some of the trash she is surrounded by.”
Klein, a widow, has worked for the Greece Central School District for more than two decades. She was a bus driver for 20 years, and has been a bus monitor for the past three years.
More than 1 million people have viewed the 10-minute video since it was uploaded to YouTube less than two days ago.
The clip, recorded on one of the bully’s cell phones, shows Klein being mercilessly tormented by students on the bus home from Athena Middle School in Greece, N.Y.
Some of the comments are particularly disturbing — at one point, a student tells Klein that if he stabbed her in the stomach, the knife would go through like butter, because “it’s all f---n’ lard.”
Another student asks her if she has an STD.
Klein, whose oldest son committed suicide 10 years ago, told ABC affiliate WHAM in Rochester that the most hurtful comment came when students said her family should kill themselves.
As the taunting continues, Klein tears up but says little, trying to ignore the cruel comments.
Klein, who appeared Thursday on “Good Morning America” and the “Today” show, told ABC News she won’t resign from her job as bus monitor.
“That’s not like me,” she said. “I’m not a real vindictive person. I just know I want something to happen to make them [the students\] realize what they did.”
RELATED: VIDEO OF SCHOOL BUS MONITOR BEING BULLIED SPARKS INVESTIGATION
On “Today” Thursday morning, Matt Lauer called the students “narrow-minded monsters,” and said that their parents should be ashamed.
Greece police have interviewed the students involved and are conducting an investigation.
School district officials say the students will be disciplined.
rmurray@nydailynews.com
WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC LANGUAGE. THE NEWS IS RUNNING THIS VIDEO UNEDITED TO SHOW THE EXTENT OF THE ABUSE TO WHICH THE SCHOOL BUS AIDE WAS SUBJECTED.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...nded-monsters-article-1.1099696#ixzz1yRpQSUBo
Making The Bus Monitor Cry
DONATE TO KAREN: http://www.indiegogo.com/loveforkarenhklein (Help her go on vacation and retire!)
Greece, NY
Bus #784
Students Involved:
Luis Recio
Wesley Helm
Brandon Teng
Joshua Slesak
