Cynthia Morgan has been removed from her Harford County school bus route after the Harford County Public Schools driver fired dispute grew out of an incident involving an injured kitten. Parents say the decision goes too far, while the district says student safety stays its top priority.
Morgan drove students in the district for 11 years. Carolyn Kalambihis said Morgan drove her children to North Harford Elementary School for five years and described her as someone who bought school supplies, holiday gifts and birthday cards for children on the bus out of her own pocket.
Cynthia Morgan and the kitten incident
Morgan was removed this week after she allegedly allowed a student to get off the bus to pick up an injured kitten. Morgan confirmed that account to CBS News Baltimore and declined to speak on camera.
Kalambihis said parents understand the safety concerns but believe the response was too severe. “It's definitely a concern for safety. There is no question that it was a mistake,” she said.
Harford County Public Schools response
Harford County Public Schools said Morgan was employed by an independent contractor, not directly by the school district. Cleary Inc. employs bus drivers who transport students for Harford County Public Schools.
The district said certification and decertification are not always based on a single factor but often involve multiple circumstances and requirements. It added that student safety remains its top priority, and all certification decisions are made with that responsibility in mind.
Carolyn Kalambihis petition
Kalambihis said parents are circulating a petition calling for Morgan to be allowed to return to her route. She said, “We just feel the way that it was handled was not appropriate.”
She also said, “We feel that termination was a little excessive, an overreaction by the Department of Transportation through HCPS.” Morgan’s status on the route remains the issue parents are pressing to have reversed.
Kalambihis said, “She is an angel. She is the most caring person.” She added, “She wouldn't have done it, let a child get off the bus to get a kitten if it was a more high-traffic road.”
At the center of the dispute is whether one safety lapse should end a long-running driving assignment that parents say had been built on trust. The petition gives Harford County Public Schools pressure to answer that question in the same framework it says governs certification: more than one factor, but safety first.
