Bullied Bus Monitor Karen Klein Doesn’t Accept Apology
Karen Klein, the bullied bus monitor who received national attention this week after a video surfaced online, said today that she did not accept her verbal attacker’s apology.
Klein said:
“I think they can do better.”
Klein was verbally harassed by a group of middle school boys in New York. When the video surfaced online last week, Klein received an outpouring of support (more than $500,000 has been raised on her behalf) and sparked anger throughout the country.
The some of the boys apologized to the bullied bus monitor earlier this week. One of the boys said:
“I am so sorry for the way I treated you. When I saw the video I was disgusted and could not believe I did that.”
Another added:
“I wish I had never done those things… If that had happened to someone in my family, like my mother or grandmother, I would be really mad at the people who did that to them.”
But apparently Klein wants more. According to TMZ, Klein isn’t ready to forgive the boys yet. She is, however, amazed by the outpouring of support she’s received and said that she’s already thinking of ways to spend the money she’s received.
ABC reports that the boys involved with the incident have been receiving death threats since the video went viral.
Robert Helms, father of one of the 13-year-old boys who harassed Klein, said:
“You’ve got to remember. He’s a thirteen-year-old kid. It was a stupid mistake and he’s paying for it.”
What do you think about Karen Klein? Are you surprised that the bullied bus monitor story has gathered so much (money) attention? Do you think she should forgive the boys that have apologized to her?
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Jun 23, 2012
Their apologies are vague and tepid and seem to come out of public exposure, not genuine remorse or shame. In contrast, their insults, cruelty, and threats were detailed, energetic, and unrelenting.
Jun 23, 2012
Who knows maybe a million dollars isn’t a ridiculous target. When you can’t hug someone you can always give them money and hope it does the same thing? Then again does all that money buy away all the sense of self disgust and mutilation at the hands of others who are deep in the throes of their own self abatement?
http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2012/06/bullied-bus-monitor-refuses-to-accept-boys-apology-donations-pass-600k/
Jun 23, 2012
These little turds only apologized because they were driven to given the amount of exposure the incident has gotten. I wouldn't accept their apologies and the fact that they are 13 yrs old does not make it OK for them to act that way. In fact, I think given their age- when they are heading towards high school and should know right from wrong by this stage of the game, makes it even more appalling. God forbid my son should ever act like this- he would regret the first putrid word that came out of his mouth!
Jun 24, 2012
Sounds like they are sorry they got caught and exposed not for committing this digraceful display of disrespect.
Jun 24, 2012
"Stupid mistake?" "Stupid mistake?" The venemous words out of his boy's mouth were purely accidental, right? Like accidentally stepping on somebody's toes? Nothing was intentional. Cruelty was a fluke. It sounds like Helm's son is a chip off the ol' block!
Jun 24, 2012
They're only sorry because it's reached the media and made them look bad.
Jun 24, 2012
Better them to learn than not learn at all.
Jun 24, 2012
No, Karen should NOT accept those kids an apology! They are , matured enough to know what is right and wrong. I think those kids should be KILLED! Enjoy your Money Karen, you deserve a relaxing holiday!
Jun 24, 2012
They only learned that they need to be more discreet so they don't get caught.
Jun 24, 2012
That's an assumption. But better this than think they can get away with it entirely.
Jun 24, 2012
It's not just the media, I first found this on reddit – you wouldn't believe the personal information the the collective mind of the internet dug up on those morons. Parents' names, addresses, workplaces, these kids are in for a world of hurt. And they deserve everything coming to them.
Jun 24, 2012
Remorse = video exposure not true emotion. The parent's reply about his son shows why kids are like that. A 13 yr-old knows the difference beyween right and wrong. Bet he bullies his fellow students too. boys will be boys.. no. I don't understand the money pouring in but that is certainly a nice public gesture.
Jun 24, 2012
I know they've been receiving death threats but the majority of them are probably internet ragers that just want to act tough. The same thing happened to the kid that was bullying that Aussie boy. Pretty much everyone in his country…not to mention the world over…hates him now. I still stand by what I said about the media though. If this had never gone viral the kids would continue to torment her and others. There is an old cliche saying about ignoring a bully and that eventually they'll get tired of it…not true. Parents only tell their children that so they don't fight back and get in trouble. I had a rough time in school for being a nerd and the internet wasn't big then..people barely had cellphones and one computer per household..but even if it was I can't imagine kids in my/our school going this far. I left school crying plenty of times and I was even suicidal over the constant racial bullying that happened but I was a kid…not an adult. I don't think the kids would have had the balls to do that to an adult. I bet these kids will end up being assholes their entire lives..they'll just learn to be more clever about it. You don't go that far without practice. I bet these kids have had scores of victims.
Jun 24, 2012
The fact that the father is using the fact that his snot nosed brat of a sons age as an excuse, is exactly why he acted the way he did!! His father is minimizing what his son did by saying he is only 13 and we shouldn't expect anything else from him is total BS. I agree with you they are well old enough to know right from wrong!! In fact I don't think any age is young enough for this kind of behavior to be acceptable period!!
Jun 24, 2012
I agreed with your post up until you said they should be killed!! That is way over the top, and you are a very scary person if you believe that should be their punishment!!
Jun 24, 2012
I would venture a guess that you are exactly correct on the fact that they bully their peers!! A bully is a bully. They are always looking for someone to victimize all the time for the sheer enjoyment!!
Jun 24, 2012
I completely agree with you!! It would have been nice to hear the father say what he was doing to ensure that his son never does this again. Rather then hear him use his age as an excuse for this behavior. I don't believe any age it acceptable to treat people like this!!
Jun 24, 2012
A clear well written apology ought to define what they did, elaborate on why it was unacceptable conduct, and take at least ten minutes to read. What was given looks more like a coached terse press release. Spoiled and/or calculating children would expect immediate forgiveness, since they apologized These expect to be let loose without consequence as so many kids have learned from school experiences and later bragged about getting away with what they did. The malbehavior presented in the video is typical on school buses where the unruly have taken control of the bus environment and the driver and aide have been restrained from taking an effective action.
Forgiving does not mean no accountability for what they decided to do for 10-minutes on that bus that day, and the bullying acted out previous to that day. Forgiveness from the target (victim) lets the target of bullying move forward, releasing the torment those boys decided to act out toward the bus monitor. Accountability, owning it, punishment, discipline (whatever the label) remains to involve adequate consequences to fit the crime. Washing school buses, mowing lawns, clean out roof gutters, pulling weeds, all while adult 24/7 supervised (day and night) for a specific period of time, adequate to help sink in a message ought to be enforced. Once completed, then write the apology with more believable content this time.
http://theschoolbus-jkraemer.blogspot.com/p/what-can-happen-when-unruly-riders-take.html
Jun 24, 2012
Those making death threats are simply other bullies acting out a mob mentality while attempting to present themselves as civil and serving jusitce.
Jun 24, 2012
I couldn't have said it better. These little shitheads are just a growing number of bullies who have absolutely no respect for authority. Some parents have always been lax. There have always been bullies. But today it has become a trend and I believe it is do to parents not spending enough time with their children and NOT SETTING BOUNDARIES! These boys knew exactly what they were doing…and they are only apologizing because they have been forced too. I hope no harm comes to them except in the way of a good, long, firm punishment by their parents and the school; but perhaps experiencing their whole families receiving death threats might (just might) be a wake up call. I hope so. I am not big on corporal punishment, but had my daughter done something like this not only would she have gotten her face smacked side-ways.
Jun 24, 2012
Awesome response. I couldn't agree more.
Jun 24, 2012
The "Al Bundy's" 35 years later. Sorry parents having sorrier kids! The parents should be fined and punished and the kids should have their a**es whipped!
Jun 24, 2012
Death by a mob mentality, including attempting to lead a mob mentality, or one of the boys provoked to suicide by a mob mentality would not qualify as an deserving everything coming to them.
Jun 24, 2012
I read that the student recording it was trying to send it to Tosh.0. So they're not sorry.
Jun 24, 2012
While there young should STOP them..Sooner or later there going to KILL someone, they don't RESPECT elder people what else there going to do next?! Think about it! Their HORN should be CUT while young! It is so obvious that they are DEVILS children!! While watchind the video I was broken hearted , I was disbelief.
Jun 24, 2012
Susan Voysest If I know where those kid, I will run them over . Too bad I am in Pakistan right now!!
Jun 24, 2012
Wow…yeah…definitely have a warped view of what is funny. Sounds like they have some mental issues.
Jun 25, 2012
my roomate's aunt makes $83/hr on the laptop. She has been without work for 8 months but last month her pay was $8682 just working on the laptop for a few hours. Read more on this site…NuttyRichdotcom.
Jun 25, 2012
A part of the apology I suggested was out of sync with the timeline. "…how they plan to correct their malconduct…" The apology suggestion ought to read,
A clear well-written apology ought to define what they did, elaborate on why it was unacceptable conduct, how they corrected their malconduct, and take at least ten minutes to read.
I could not edit the original post above, so put the correction here.
http://theschoolbus-jkraemer.blogspot.com/p/what-can-happen-when-unruly-riders-take.html
Jun 30, 2012
If I'd even THOUGHT about being so disrespectful to an adult (or kid either!) when I was 13, I'd of died of shame! Kids just do NOT act that way and have any excuse for it – and that father is reaping what he's sown in seeing his son behave so abominably.
Jun 30, 2012
Robert Helms- do you tell the parents of the kids that have committed suicide that it was a stupid mistake and your child is paying for it? Your son is a bully who attacked an woman old enough to be his grandma. I do not think a years suspention is good enough for your son and the other 3 boys I feel they should be expelled from school and forced to make their parents drive them to another school for an education. These kids are disgusting!
Jun 30, 2012
Robert Helms- do you tell the parents of the kids that have committed suicide that it was a stupid mistake and your child is paying for it? Your son is a bully who attacked an woman old enough to be his grandma. I do not think a years suspention is good enough for your son and the other 3 boys I feel they should be expelled from school and forced to make their parents drive them to another school for an education. These kids are disgusting!
Jul 22, 2012
These kids are idiots, but people made comments just as bad if not worse to me for being fat in Middle School. Does no one else think its messed up that she is "already thinking of ways to spend the money"? Maybe she should have done her job and disciplined those little idiots. What they did is still disgusting but come on, sticks and stones sticks and stones.
Jul 22, 2012
Really she should be thanking them, no way she gets 700K for anything else, and she definitely doesnt deserve 700 grand for dealing with people making fun of her. I heard way worse directed at me so many times.
Jul 22, 2012
They said "your so fat that's probably why your family killed themselves to get away from you"… You son committed suicide 10 years ago