N.Y. bullied bus monitor Karen Klein retiring

Ex- bus monitor Karen Klein, of Greece, N.Y., is surrounded by school children while riding a tourist duck boat in Boston on June 26, 2012. / AP Photo/Steven Senne

(CBS/AP) GREECE, N.Y. - Karen Klein, the New York school bus monitor who was shown in a video being relentlessly bullied by young boys, is retiring.

Karen Klein told The Associated Press on Friday it was a tough decision to leave the job she held for three years but it's time to move on.

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The 68-year-old suburban Rochester grandmother says she's not quitting because of what happened on the last day of school in June, when four seventh-grade students taunted her with profanity, insults and threats during a school bus run.

A 10-minute video of the episode went viral online and spurred an outpouring of more than $700,000 in donations from all over the world. On the video, one student said to Klein "you don't have a family because they all killed themselves because they don't want to be near you." Klein's oldest son killed himself 10 years ago.

Since then, the four seventh-grade students have been suspended for a year from both their middle school and from using regular bus transportation. They are currently enrolled in a special alternative education program and required to complete 50 hours of community service with senior citizens.

The boys have since apologized to Klein, but she told CBS This Morning: Saturday that she isn't sure they were sincere. She said she didn't want the boys to face criminal punishment, however, since they apologized personally.

"How sincere is a 13-year-old after they've done what they've done? I don't know. I hope they're sincere. I hope they have learned a lesson. And I hope they can go on with their life as a nicer person," Klein said on the program.

[KaylieandMacy]

God bless her. I had no idea that she had a son who committed suicide and that these punks used that information to try to hurt her. That's just plain evil. I am so happy for her that she is retiring with quite a nice nest egg. Good for her. She deserves it for keeping her cool with those brats. I would have been in jail for beating them all to a bloody pulp.

[14FREEK]

I don't blame her noe bit. Kids are the worst when they are being evil. They know no boudnaries. They won't stop no matter what. If they do stop today, theywill start up first thing the next day. Bus monitor lady, after the abuse you took, have a great retirement. I mean that with my whole heart.

[Mick_from_Amsterdam]

It beats the hell out of panhandling money for George Zimmerman, Big Daddy

Karen Klein told The Associated Press on Friday it was a tough decision to leave the job she held for three years but it's time to move on...

Hopefully to a beach somewhere where they serve drinks with umbrellas in `em

[Mick_from_Amsterdam]

Yeah...you WOULD just say...

[Big-Daddy-Kahuna]

10 minutes of verbal abuse = $700K. Not a bad pay day for granny. Look at that smile on her mug.