Harford County parents rally behind bus driver removed after stopping to rescue injured kitten
Some Harford County parents are speaking out after their children's longtime school bus driver was removed from her route after allegedly allowing a student to get off the bus to rescue an injured kitten.
Cynthia Morgan, who drove students in the district for 11 years, told CBS News Baltimore she is devastated by the decision.
Parents say they understand the safety concerns but believe removing Morgan from her route was excessive.
Video recorded on Heaps School Road shows little traffic on the rural road, a detail parents say is important to understanding what happened.
"We live in North Harford, so it's very rural out here, off of Heaps School Road, a very low-traffic road," parent Carolyn Kalambihis said. "She wouldn't have done it, let a child get off the bus to get a kitten if it was a more high-traffic road."
Morgan was removed from her route this week after she allegedly allowed a student to get off the bus to pick up an injured kitten. Morgan confirmed the account to CBS News Baltimore but declined to speak on camera.
Kalambihis acknowledged the potential safety risks but said she believes Morgan understands that allowing a student off the bus was a mistake.
"It's definitely a concern for safety. There is no question that it was a mistake," Kalambihis said. "It shouldn't have happened. I believe she knows that and understands, and looking back, knows she made a mistake and should not have done what she did."
Parents rally behind longtime bus driver
Kalambihis said Morgan drove her children to North Harford Elementary School for five years and became someone they looked forward to seeing each day.
"She is an angel. She is the most caring person," Kalambihis said. "Every year at the beginning of the school year she buys every child on the bus school supplies. She buys them gifts for Christmas, every holiday, birthdays she gives them birthday cards, all out of her own pocket. She just does it because it makes her feel good."
Harford County Public Schools said Morgan was employed by an independent contractor, not directly by the school district.
However, the district is responsible for certifying drivers who transport students for its schools.
In a statement to CBS News Baltimore, the district said, in part, "Certification and decertification are not always based on a single factor but often involve consideration of multiple circumstances and requirements…. Student safety remains our top priority, and all certification decisions are made with that responsibility in mind."
The district declined to comment on Morgan's specific situation.
Petition calls for her return
Kalambihis and other parents are circulating a petition calling for Morgan to be allowed to return to her route.
"We just feel the way that it was handled was not appropriate," Kalambihis said. "We feel that termination was a little excessive, an overreaction by the Department of Transportation through HCPS. I think it could have been handled in a lot of other ways."
Cleary Inc. employs bus drivers who transport students for Harford County Public Schools.
CBS News Baltimore reached out to the company for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
