I believe she should keep the money raised by the online donations. She did not report the bullying and receive the monies from a lawsuit but from individual donations. It just so happens to have amounted to $665,000. Because people care! This should be another open door for people to sit their children down and discuss how we should and should not treat others. Especially our elders! As for the families of the bullies being threatened, just another form of bullying!

She didn't ask for anything so I say.YES. It is hers to keep. Now we have a bunch of people who are blaming the victim out of jealousy. They were for her when she only had a little but once she got more than them, it was too much. That is human nature at its worst.

It's not a matter of worth, she not being compensated. It's an outpouring of support and a statement against bullying, etc. To see such a reaction from the public in era of self serving behavior is refreshing and a sign that maybe there's hope for our society yet.
I understand the state of school finances but cannot understand how this gesture relates to her returning her salary or donating it to the local school. Tose that contributed intended the money to go to Ms. Klein, who are others to demand it go elsewhere? Sounds like more bullying IMO.
Not to defend the guilty, but sending death threats for bullying IS bullying and just as wrong. Those sending the threats are no better than those receiving them.

Isn't it just like someone (Chris Kelly in this case) to say give it to the school district. There is no such thing as enough for them. Anyway they see an opportunity to get more money, they will take it. Even if they are not entitled to it what so ever. She is 68 for Pete's sake. Let her retire. She has probably never seen this much money. My advice to her would be watch out for the vultures.

It's hard to put a price on humiliation, and it's not like this woman "asked" for the donations anymore than she "asked" to be mistreated by disrespectful, ill-mannered children....She did not "ask" for this money nor was it a "wage" given for services rendered, so frankly, I'd call this the wrong question.
People freely DONATED that money and she has the right to do with it as she pleases....Maybe it would be "cheaper" to simply raise our kids the right way.

Everything commented so far as been right on. It was the contributors who decided how much she should get, not her. Let her enjoy her retirement. I am glad something good came out of this.

I too, agree with all of the statements above. I think maybe the kids that had been bullying her should be kicked off the bus, and let the parents take them to school. You know, the next bus monitor is going to get the same treatment unless they get an ex military man, bet those kids would think twice about opening their mouth. I'd like to hear from Evanston's bus monitors on what they do in situations like this. I know when my son took the bus in grade school, it wasn't until later tht they put a man bus monitor on . There were allot of kids that were written up and kicked off the bus!

Only in America

What this woman went through is common behavior on buses everywhere. Somebody just decided to tape it this time. How does your child behave on the bus? Bus drivers are there to drive the bus; they can't police and drive at the same time. Bus monitors are only as effective as the administration backing them. More buses should have cameras, tapes should be reviewed, and discipline codes should be enforced.

Women are capable of being tough and demanding respect. It's a matter of finding the right fit for the job. It shouldn't take an ex military guy to make the kids behave.

YES. BUT IT DOESN'T SO DOESN'T SOLVE PROBLEM OF STUDENTS BEING OUT OF CONTROL.

She didn't sue, she didn't file harrassment suits, she didn't go on Good Morning America - which is the norm these day in our society. She may have been trained to react in the manner she did to avoid further agression if she felt threatened. It's not that she deserves the money, it was donated to her by people who want her to have it. The kid's received what they deserved - peer pressure or not...well raised children do not behave that way, and if they do there are consequences; getting a ride to school from your parents instead of taking the bus doesn't equate the crime - and if they talk to an elderly bus monitor like they did, can you image how they speak to their parents. This video should be shown at every school orientation with the penalty heavily emphasised.

In the era of disagreement on everything, it is refreshing to see the overwhelming majority supporting Karen Klein.

People who gave did so freely and out of a tender and broken heart for a woman who had been treated unjustly. Of course she should keep the money. It was given as a gift to her, and only to her.
Perhaps if bus drivers and bus monitors were given the power to suspend a student's bus privileges on the spot this kind of thing wouldn't happen. But school administrators routinely give students chance after chance after chance, and this lack of discipline on the school's part is what leads to the conditions that allow this type of bullying to happen. Let this be a wake-up call to school districts to give back-up to and take seriously the reports of misbehavior as reported by the bus drivers and monitors.

Personally, I am thrilled these children have been suspended for an entire year. A bus monitor is a low paid and often unpleasant job for which there was obviously no training, in this case. Bus monitors often have to stay idle at the school all day, which is a waste of potential resources, but monitors rarely have much education or training. This should be a wake-up call that a bus monitor needs a thorough education for the job and should be trained to work in alternate capacities in the school district throughout the day. Both students and employees will benefit from the increased contact. Above all, education and training will make all the difference. This poor woman had 0 skills. But, I'm most curious about who took the video and for what purpose? Was it to expose the students or done as a prank? I think she deserves the money.

I WANT TO BE A BUS MONITOR AND BE BULLY. LOL.

BY THE WAY I SEND HER $ 20 DOLLARS. GLAD THE KIDS GOT SUSPENDED . THEY SHOULD GET 500 HOURS OF MOWING SENIOR CITIZENS LAWS.

I do agree the money is hers outright. They should have better control on the bus too. After having watched the tape...what is the point of a monitor if you are just suppose to sit there and take the abuse. How about some consequences? Like immediately inform the bus driver, pull off to the side of the road and wait there until the parents come to pick up the offenders. They are out of school for the day or more and can not ride the bus the rest of the school year, their parents are then responsible for getting them to school. Yes punish the kids and the parents!! And yes I am a parent.Obviously have some communication with the school and the police set up to know that the bus is not moving until these boys are gone and in the custody of their parents for the rest of the day. All the rest of the kids on the bus would then be late for school because of the trouble makers and those parents(of the good kids) would then be mad...I don't think it would happen too many more times!! Nobody takes charge or responsibility for situations anymore, and how about how just letting the monitor sit there it just emboldens those children to have no respect for adults or authority...I could go on and on and I have...but there is just so much wrong with this whole situation. Oh and if the school told the monitor that she should sit there and take it and try not to escalate the situation, then the school is an issue too! Headache!!!

I think it's a beautiful thing! Ms. Klein didn't ask for a dime and was not going to sue anyone!!! God blessed her in his own loving way. This is truly a feel good story on so many levels!

"Poll: Was The Harassment Of Bullied Bus Monitor Karen Klein Worth $665,000?"

What a set up. Who writes these "let's bait our readers" trash? This isn't news nor is it good journalism. All these articles do is inflame.

NO, it WASN'T worth $665,000. It was worth A LOT MORE in self-respect, pride, humiliation!!! Here was a quiet, gentle woman thrust into the public eye through no fault of her own. Give her credit. She's one heck of a Lady.

I agree with Malibu Bob. I thought the same thing when I saw the poll title. What trash for a community forum. It means nothing if the community and the schools aren't working together to address the main issue: bullying and undisciplined children.

Most of the news these days is trash...at least this brings attention to a ongoing and increasing problem of bullying at all levels. By the way...my guess is that a majority of the parents who would be called to come get their kids off the bus would sue the school district because 1) they were inconvenienced, or 2) their kids were not at fault - it was another kid, etc. The problem is parents need to hold their kids responsible for their actions. Anymore everyone is BFF/best friends with their kids - it's hard to be a parent and and friend too!

I don't see it as bullying but more of an issue of elder abuse. Is this how these kids treat their grandparents? Elder abuse is a crime. If these kids are doing this in middle school, what will they be like as adults?

The money is not the point. The positive is that perhaps other kids who are thinking of behaving in this way will remember that there are consequences. The negative is that the school district would put a monitor onto the bus who is so unsuited to the job. This is obviously a sweet woman who was frightened and humiliated and I hope she takes a trip around the world!

It all starts out as bullying Holly. If you have no respect as a kid, what type of adult are you going to be?

Obviously Ms. Klein has received a tremendous financial windfall from her terrible experience. The money was freely donated (but should not be tax deductible) for her benefit, so there is no moral or legal wrong in her retaining the funds.
Having said that, and having watched the tape, I do conclude that she was completely incompetent at her job, not necessarily her fault, as it is possible that the school district's training of its bus monitors and its procedures for dealing with abuse of bus monitors was wholly inadequate. She should have informed the driver and the punks should have been kicked off the bus right then (they all have cell phones to call their parents for pick-ups) and banned from school transportation. If they refused to get off the police should have been called, just like METRA conductors call local police to remove passengers for insubordination and disorderly conduct.

Aside from being appalled at the behavior, I am truly perplexed why Ms. Klein sat there and took the abuse. I would think there would be guidelines for a bus monitor before he/she gets on the bus. I would think it would be part of her job responsibility to report this behavior immediately. Yes, she is a gentle, kind woman who doesn't deserve the abuse, but apparently this has been an on-going situation and should have been nipped in the bud immediately, She deserved the money (let's call it battle pay) but I believe she was inefficient in her job position. As an aside, I would have liked to have seen or heard the parents response to the offensive, snobbish behavior of their children. These children should be made the "poster children" of bullying.

Wow...I drive a bus and am so disgusted with the behavior of these kids. Bullying is bullying no matter what age... These kids could really use some counseling. How sad that they speak to adults in this manner. I am glad that they recorded this and are using this as an example for others.

For those of you who think Klein is all that and a bag of Hot Cheetoes, go to Twitter and check out what she's tweeting. More is going to come out on this story in the coming weeks, don't miss it. Have some popcorn ready, gonna be a great show!

Parents, some of your kids are rotten, live with it! Your to busy working to be bothered with the children you foster, you expect the school system to raise your children and it ain't happening. Better to sue the teachers and system for not doing their job of raising your children. At what school taxes are your not getting what you think your paying for. Years ago I commented on my local school graduating hamburger flippers, nothing more... It still is valid!

It's all about the parents, most of them are spineless these days! Teach your kids what respect is and the rest will follow.

Hitting or yelling at children never worked with most kids. They just pretend to be good but actually get craftier at avoiding the wrath of guys like JOSE, who takes a simplistic approach raising kids who believe that violence is an acceptable form of communication. Het, I'm noy trying to preach being a softy, but children generally are aware of boundries once the social exile is established as a consequence. No facebook or no phone or some sort of reasonable approach rather than beating them. You beat them they learn to beat their girlfriends, wives, kids and anyone who flips them the bird in traffic. Hey, I box 3 times a week but I'd never consider punching someone unless to protect a loved one. JOSE you gave an approach that may appear to work but at what cost to the child and your own self respect?

JOSE. Check out the piece in the Los Angeles Times online today. You can get it via google news. Mental, emotional problems plague adults who were slapped around or screamed at as children.

There is no national conversation about bullying, because most adults’ and the parents of many of these kids are probably equally uncivilized. We live in a world were “free speech” is an excuse to shout out any nonsense one sees fit to say.

Speaking only to a parent now, take a close look of how you comment about your co-workers, situations in the news, and anyone you disagree with, are your spoken works consistent with free speech and the open exchange of idea’s, or a one sided tirade about how “stupid” so and so is? Any “national debate” on bullying excuses the actions in the video if the kids’ good grades in school and hold their tongues until they step on the bus, or out of view of school officials. You know, “boys will be boys”. As parents we may stand up and take note when an extreme situation leads to physical harm, or worse. Again parents look at your own form of discourse and conduct, and not only once a kid seriously harmed.

The poll was set up wrong. Thew first question was about the kids behavior and the second one on the reaction to the news media. Your asking different questions. Here my form

Q1: Is the behavior of the kids wrong?
Q2: Is the behavior of the kids ok because they were just stressed out after another day of learning from a sociology major that George Bush is the reason why they are all screwed up in the head?

No it wasn't!!!!!!! Especially when people are physically injured or have died from bullying EVERY DAY!!!!! It's a slap in the face to them and their loved ones, and does nothing for the cause of antibullying!!!!!!! As you can see from all the hateful posts from people arguing over this everwhere, this has done nothing but show the corrupt school system, the bullies the parents, and incompetent workers that they can all keep doing what there going AND make mint off it AND become famous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!