SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Donations, outrage pouring in over kids bullying elderly woman on school bus
Jun 20, 2012, 12:29 PM | Updated: Jun 22, 2012, 6:26 pm
UPDATE More than $585,000
has now been raised for
the elderly bus monitor taunted mercilessly by middle
school students. The disturbing video went viral this
week and has now been viewed over 1,500,000 times on
YouTube.
“It is unimaginable, it is so disturbing,” says 97.3 KIRO
FM’s Dori Monson about the video that shows the kids
raining down a violent stream of profanity, insults,
taunts and threats on Karen Klein. They continue even
after
bringing her to tears.
But along with the outpouring of support for the woman,
there’s been a huge backlash against the kids and their
parents.
“Any kid that’s capable of this level of cruelty has some
horrible parenting,” Monson said.
The names and addresses of the offenders have been made
public and people are blasting them on their Facebook
pages. An investigation continues.
Is digital vigilantism fair for these kids? “Absolutely,”
Monson insisted.
The video is prompting some serious concerns about what
can lead kids to become so cruel.
“It’s clear that this is not the first time these kids
have been cruel in this way. It’s clear that they feel
confident that they can do it, get away with it, and
encourage younger students to participate,” said David
Boze, 770 KTTH host.
“Back in my day, my bus driver, with his heavy
German/Dutch accent, would have stopped the bus, grabbed
the oldest two offenders by the ear, and tossed their
arses off the bus. They may even have been gripped harshly
by the neck if resisted,” Boze said.
“Now, that bus driver would be arrested or sued. A TV
investigation would take place. Society would wring their
hands over the harshness of the driver. So we end up with
this. This woman is a BUS MONITOR! If SHE is allowed to
be treated this way, how do you think other kids might be
treated?”
Klein said on the Today Show Thursday she doesn’t know
how, but she would like the kids punished.
“It made me feel really terrible, but I will get over it.
I’ve gotten over everything else.”
Klein went on to say that she’s sorry to the parents who
are finding out their children behaved this way because
she imagines they don’t act like this at home.
“You never know what they’re going to do out of the house.
They should have been taught to respect their elders, no
matter who it is.”
97.3 KIRO FM’s
Dave Ross says it should have a significant impact on
the kids, who will grow up one day knowing the video
exists somewhere in cyberspace.
This is just awful, and
LANGUAGE WARNING: What should
happen
to these little monsters?
