Cynthia Morgan lost her job driving school buses in Maryland. She had been behind the wheel for Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) for 11 years. The trigger was a kitten.
On Heaps School Road in Pylesville, 10-year-old Alex Thomas spotted the injured animal. Morgan stopped the bus. Alex, the only student on board at the time, retrieved the kitten. Morgan kept the animal on the bus until they reached North Harford Elementary. She believed she was doing the right thing.
The district did not fire her for kindness. An October 5 letter from the transportation director to Cleary Transportation Inc., the independent contractor employing Morgan, cited multiple incidents. These included concerns about inappropriate interactions with students. The kitten rescue was one factor in her certification review. Morgan denied placing the child at risk.
Parents are furious. A petition for her reinstatement gathered hundreds of signatures by October 9. Taffy Thomas, Alex’s mother, said her son suffered emotional distress over the driver’s removal. Carolyn Kalambihis, whose kids rode Morgan’s bus for five years, noted that Morgan bought supplies and gifts for students out of her own pocket. They argue a warning would have sufficed.
HCPS maintains that student safety is the priority. Driver certification involves multiple circumstances, not just one event. The district declined to discuss Morgan’s specific status. Cleary Transportation directed media to the district. The dispute remains unresolved as families pressure officials to reconsider.