Updated 06/29/2012 06:55 PM
Students behind bus monitor harassment suspended for next school year
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The four middle schoolers whose verbal abuse of bus monitor Karen Klein caused worldwide outrage have been suspended from school for a year.
According to the Greece Central School District, the families of each of the boys agreed to the suspensions following individual meetings this week.
Karen Klein commented on the suspension, saying, "I think it's a little overboard, but I'm not gonna fight it, that's for sure."
The students will attend the district's Reengagement Center, an alternative education program located in a non-district facility. According to the district, the students will keep on-track academically and be able to perform community service. The District said they will perform 50 hours of community service.
"I was happy, it satisfies me. I definitely think it was because of the media attention. If the boys didn't take the video, no one would have known. I'm glad I didn't tell the driver to stop the bus. I'm glad it happened, because it's not just these kids," Karen Klein said.
If the students complete the conditions of their discipline after 30 weeks, and are in good standing at the Reengagement Center, they can apply for early admission to Athena Middle School.
Max Sidorov, creator of the indiegogo.com charity event for Karen Klein said, "I would have them research, contribute to anti bullying, anti-violence...do a presentation in front of the whole school about what they did. They have to learn something, otherwise punishment does nothing."
The District is legally required to provide all students between the ages of 5 and 16 with an education.
Transportation will not be provided by the district. The students are also suspended from regular bus transportation.
A video where the teenage boys are seen taunting and harassing the 68-year-old Klein was uploaded to the internet last week. An website set up to give Karen Klein a vacation quickly amassed more than $600,000 from sympathetic people across the globe.