A veteran school bus driver in Maryland was fired after stopping her bus to let a student to rescue a kitten. Cynthia Morgan, who drove students from Harford County public schools for 11 years, let 10-year-old Alex pick up an injured kitten on a road in Pylesville, Md. Soon after, she was removed from her route. Taffy Thomas, Alex’s mother, told The Baltimore Sun she stands with Morgan. “The fact that she was let go because of an act of kindness does really weigh on (Alex),” Taffy said. “That is unforgivable and cruel,” she said, adding that her son would have been “devastated” if they left the injured cat on the road. An online petition to restore Morgan’s position has generated more than 1,520 signatures. Julie Long, a member of the local community is the organizer. “Over the years, Cynthia has become more than just a bus driver to our children; she is someone they look forward to seeing every morning and afternoon,” Long wrote. “Her kind and warm nature makes the pupils feel safe and comfortable.” “This is not just my personal sentiment - countless parents and students share the same view,” she added. Footage reviewed by CBS News Baltimore revealed little traffic on the road during the incident. Parent Carolyn Kalambihis said Morgan wouldn’t let a child get off the bus “if it was a more high-traffic road.” Kalambihis thought Morgan made a mistake. “It shouldn’t have happened,” she said. “I believe she knows that and understands, and looking back, knows she made a mistake and should not have done what she did.” Morgan shared a letter she received earlier this week from Danielle Bedsaul, director of transportation at Harford County Public Schools, with The Baltimore Sun. In the letter, Bedsaul cited “multiple incidents” involving the bus driver, including concerns over “inappropriate interactions with students.” According to the letter, Morgan had put the cat on her lap after Alex went to school, then continued driving. Kalambihis told CBS News Baltimore that Morgan cares for the kids and defended her character. “Every year at the beginning of the school year, she buys every child on the bus school supplies,” she said. “She buys them gifts for Christmas, every holiday, birthdays ... all out of her own pocket.”
