Maryland school bus driver removed from route after student rescues kitten
Cynthia Morgan, an 11-year Harford County school bus driver, lost her route after letting a 10-year-old rescue an injured kitten. Parents have petitioned for her return, while the district points to multiple factors in her certification.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Cynthia Morgan, who has driven school buses for Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) in Maryland for 11 years, was removed from her route this week after letting a student get off her bus to rescue an injured kitten on Heaps School Road in Pylesville. The IndependentLC “was removed from her route this week” Read at The Independent ↗ The Times of IndiaN “Cynthia Morgan, who has driven school buses for Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) for 11 years” Read at The Times of India ↗ Mixed · 2The student, 10-year-old Alex, held the kitten all the way to school; The Times of India, citing The Baltimore Sun, says he was the only student on the bus and that Morgan took responsibility for the animal at North Harford Elementary School. The IndependentLC “with the youngster holding onto the cat all the way to school” Read at The Independent ↗ The Times of IndiaN “Alex was the only student on the bus at the time.” Read at The Times of India ↗ Mixed · 2Footage reviewed by CBS News Baltimore showed little traffic on the road, and one parent, Carolyn Kalambihis, said Morgan would not have done it on a busier road. The IndependentLC “footage reviewed by CBS News Baltimore showed little traffic on the road” Read at The Independent ↗ The Times of IndiaN “showed little traffic at the location” Read at The Times of India ↗
Mixed · 2Alex's mother, Taffy Thomas, told The Baltimore Sun she is "100 percent behind" Morgan and that her son would have been "devastated" had the kitten been left; she also said she believes Morgan made a mistake and should not have done it. The IndependentLC ““It shouldn't have happened,” she said.” Read at The Independent ↗ The Times of IndiaN “Alex’s mother, Taffy Thomas, has backed the driver” Read at The Times of India ↗ Mixed · 2Community member Julie Long launched a Change.org petition to reinstate Morgan; The Times of India reports it had hundreds of signatures by October 9, and its URL cites more than 800. The IndependentLC “launching a petition on Change.org to have the bus driver’s job reinstated” Read at The Independent ↗ The Times of IndiaN “a petition calling for her reinstatement attracting hundreds of signatures by October 9” Read at The Times of India ↗ Mixed · 2Parents describe Morgan as someone who buys school supplies, holiday gifts and birthday cards for the children on her bus with her own money. The IndependentLC “Every year at the beginning of the school year she buys every child on the bus school supplies” Read at The Independent ↗ The Times of IndiaN “using her own money” Read at The Times of India ↗
Left · 1An October 5 letter from HCPS Transportation Director Danielle Bedsaul to contractor Cleary Transportation, shared by Morgan with The Baltimore Sun, cites "multiple incidents" involving her, some including "concerns regarding inappropriate interactions with students"; it also says she kept the kitten on her lap for the rest of her route. The IndependentLC “Bedsaul cites “multiple incidents” involving Morgan, some including “concerns regarding inappropriate interactions with students.””“Morgan had driven with the cat on her lap after Alex went to school” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Morgan told district officials she had not put the student at risk, and the district said certification decisions involve "multiple circumstances and requirements" and that student safety is its top priority. The IndependentLC “she defended her actions and claimed that she had not put the student at risk”“Student safety remains our top priority” Read at The Independent ↗ Centre · 1Morgan is employed by Cleary Transportation, an independent contractor, but HCPS certifies the drivers; HCPS declined to discuss her certification status and Cleary referred questions to the district, so the full reasons for her removal have not been made public. The Times of IndiaN “Morgan was employed by Cleary Transportation Inc., an independent contractor, rather than directly by the school district.”“HCPS declined to discuss the individual driver’s certification status” Read at The Times of India ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Independent tells it as a sympathetic human-interest story of a beloved driver punished for an act of kindness, while including the district letter's wider concerns.
- Emphasis
- Parent quotes, the petition, Morgan's personal generosity and her devastation.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not note that Alex was the only student aboard or that the district has not detailed its reasons.
- Charged language
- “act of kindness”“unforgivable and cruel”
- For example
-
“The fact that she was let go because of an act of kindness does really weigh on him” — The Independent
“That is unforgivable and cruel.” — The Independent
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- The Times of India, drawing on CBS News Baltimore, The Baltimore Sun and The Independent, frames it as a dispute over student safety versus discipline, stressing that the removal may not rest on the kitten alone.
- Emphasis
- Safety rules, the contractor/district relationship, the letter's broader concerns and the unresolved status.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives little of Morgan's own account beyond that she denied risking the child.
- Charged language
- “Bus Driver Removal Dispute”
- For example
-
“The broader circumstances cited in the letter suggest that the decision may not have been based solely on the kitten rescue” — The Times of India
“the incident has sparked a debate over student safety, disciplinary action” — The Times of India
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Morgan, an 11-year HCPS driver, was removed from her route after a student retrieved an injured kitten on Heaps School Road in Pylesville.
- Footage showed little traffic on the road.
- A petition seeks her reinstatement.
- An October 5 district letter cited multiple incidents, including concerns about interactions with students.
- The district says student safety is its priority.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether the kitten incident was the reason for removal
- Left
- Presents the removal as stemming from an act of kindness, per parents, while noting the letter's other concerns.
- Centre
- Says the letter suggests the decision may not have been based solely on the kitten rescue.
Cynthia Morgan person
Morgan confirmed her removal to CBS News Baltimore, said she was devastated, and told district officials she had not put the student at risk.
“she told the outlet that she has been left devastated by the decision” — The Independent
“Morgan maintained that she had not placed the child at risk” — The Times of India
Left1 article
-
A longtime school bus driver fired from her route after allowing a student to rescue a kitten
Sympathetic Human-interest account backing the driver through parent and petition voices, with the district's letter and statement included.
Centre1 article
-
Bus Driver Removal Dispute: Kitten rescue costs Maryland driver route; parents press for return
Neutral Aggregated report weighing student-safety concerns against community support and noting the district's wider reasons.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 9 Oct 16:34 First The IndependentLC A longtime school bus driver fired from her route after allowing a student to rescue a kitten
- 12 Oct 21:24 +76h 50m The Times of IndiaN Bus Driver Removal Dispute: Kitten rescue costs Maryland driver route; parents press for return
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
Ask about this story
Loading…