The video is disturbing.
As the Democrat & Chronicle says, it shows "10 minutes of profane taunting endured on Monday by bus monitor Karen Klein," who was riding along with some obviously nasty kids from Greece (N.Y.) Athena Middle School in the Rochester suburbs.
We're embedding it, profanities and cruelty included, because it's central to the story. Fair warning: You'll likely get very angry. Police, by the way, are investigating.
The only good thing to come of this is that the video inspired an online "let's give Karen Klein a vacation" campaign, and nearly $140,000 has been raised as of this hour.
For her part, the 69-year-old Klein tells the Rochester newspaper that as the abuse was happening "I was trying to ignore it ... to black it out, big time." She didn't report the incident, she says, "because it was almost the last day of school. ... Why bother? What good's it going to do?'
Now, she would like an apology: "They could write me letters. ... I don't know if I want to see them face to face again. I doubt it." She wants to hear that "they won't do it to anyone again."
And will she return to bus monitoring next year?
"Yes. ... Because all kids aren't bad."
Well said, Mrs. Klein.
The D&C has also posted video from its interview with her.
Update at 2:45 p.m. ET. The Latest Headline:
"Bus monitor Karen Klein won't press charges, police say." (The D&C.) Four 13-year-olds will face disciplinary action from the school district, though. And more than $250,000 has now been raised for her.
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