PETA joins push by parents to reinstate bus driver fired for letting student rescue a kitten

PETA joins push by parents to reinstate bus driver fired for letting student rescue a kitten An online petition calling for the longtime bus driver’s reinstatement has garnered more than 10,200 signatures - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in PETA is backing a growing push to get a Maryland school bus driver her job back after she was fired for allowing a student to rescue an injured kitten from the side of a rural road. Cynthia Morgan, who drove for Harford County Public Schools in Pylesville for 11 years, lost her position last week after stopping on Heaps School Road to let the only child on the bus retrieve the animal. Now, PETA is urging the Harford County Board of Education to reverse the decision, saying that Morgan shouldn't be punished for letting a child help an animal in need. "Schools routinely say they want students to become caring, engaged citizens," PETA wrote in a letter to the board Tuesday. "It would be a peculiar civics lesson indeed to punish the adult who allowed a child to act on those values, and to suggest that looking away would have been the better option." The animal rights group also called on officials to reinstate Morgan, writing: "Student safety and compassion are not rival electives. Harford County's children deserve adults who can model both." A Change.org petition calling for Morgan's reinstatement has gathered more than 10,200 signatures by Wednesday, up from 9,000 on Tuesday, according to PETA. Morgan, 67, was driving the bus when Alex Thomas, 10, the only student aboard, spotted an injured kitten. Morgan stopped to let him rescue the animal and kept the kitten with her after dropping Thomas off at North Harford Elementary School. PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O'Brien said the incident should be an opportunity to encourage compassion, not a reason to fire Morgan. "A child who stops to help a kitten in danger is showing exactly the compassion and respect for others that schools should nurture," O'Brien said. "Kindness should be encouraged, not punished, and PETA is calling on the school board to reinstate Morgan and send students the right message about helping others in need." Morgan has also received support from parents who say she goes above and beyond for the children on her bus, often buying school supplies, holiday gifts and birthday cards with her own money. "She is an angel. She is the most caring person," parent Carolyn Kalambihis told CBS News Baltimore. Kalambihis said Morgan stopped on a quiet, rural road where traffic was minimal, adding that she wouldn't have let a child off the bus in a busier area. Still, she believes the longtime driver shouldn't have lost her job over the incident. "It's definitely a concern for safety. There is no question that it was a mistake," Kalambihis acknowledged. "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." Morgan worked for an independent transportation contractor, rather than directly for the district, Harford County Public Schools reportedly told CBS News Baltimore. Still, the school system is responsible for certifying drivers who transport its students. The district said decisions to certify or decertify drivers can involve multiple factors, but said that student safety remains its priority. "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 said in a statement to CBS News Baltimore. The Independent has contacted Harford County Public Schools for comment. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments