Atlanta 6/22/2012 10:46:50 PM
News / People

Bus Monitor Karen Klein Gets Public Apologies From Bullies

Bus monitor Karen Klein received public apologies Thursday from two of the four middle school boys who harassed her during a ride home on Monday. The students, identified only by their first names, released their statements to Anderson Cooper 360.

"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. I am sorry for being so mean and I will never treat anyone this way again,” Josh said.

"I feel really bad about what I did. 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,” Wesley said.

Wesley’s mother added that she is “embarrassed, angry and sad” about her son’s actions.

Klein, 68, kept her cool while the boys viciously made fun of her weight and appearance. They even threatened her. One student told her that her entire family committed suicide. "I was trying to just ignore them, hoping they would go away, and it doesn't work," Klein said in an interview on Thursday. "Trust me; they didn't go away."

The incident was taped by a student and posted on Youtube under the title “Making the Bus Monitor Cry.” By Wednesday, the 10 minute video had gone viral and a fundraiser to send Klein on vacation had been set up on Indiegogo.com by a Toronto man who watched the video. The fundraiser has already collected more than $449,000.

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