Parents are petitioning for Cynthia Morgan’s return after the longtime Maryland driver allowed a 10-year-old student to leave her bus.
HARFORD COUNTY, Md. — Parents in a rural Maryland community are rallying behind a longtime school bus driver who was removed from her route after allowing a 10-year-old student to briefly leave the bus and rescue an injured kitten from the side of a road.
Cynthia Morgan, 67, had driven students in the Harford County Public Schools system for 11 years before losing her certification to drive the route, according to local reports. Morgan was not directly employed by the school district but worked for an independent transportation contractor. The district, which certifies drivers who transport its students, has declined to discuss the specific circumstances behind its decision and said such decisions can involve more than one factor.
The incident began when 10-year-old Alex Thomas spotted a small injured kitten along Heaps School Road in the Pylesville area while riding to North Harford Elementary School. Reports said Alex was the only student aboard the bus at the time. Morgan stopped and allowed him to get off and retrieve the animal. Alex then carried the kitten during the remainder of his ride to school.
Alex’s mother, Taffy Thomas, supported Morgan’s decision, saying her son would have been devastated if the kitten had been left beside the road. She told The Baltimore Sun that the effect of Morgan losing her position over what the family viewed as an act of kindness weighed heavily on him. After Alex arrived at school, the kitten remained with Morgan, according to published reports.
Morgan’s removal quickly drew criticism from several parents who said they believed the punishment was too severe. Carolyn Kalambihis, whose children had ridden Morgan’s bus for years, said Heaps School Road is in a rural area with relatively little traffic. She acknowledged that allowing a student to leave a school bus raised a safety concern but said Morgan’s long record and the circumstances should have been considered.
Kalambihis described Morgan as a driver who had developed close relationships with the families on her route. She said Morgan regularly bought school supplies, birthday cards and holiday gifts for children with her own money. Parents have begun circulating an online petition seeking Morgan’s return, arguing that her removal deprived the community of a driver whom children trusted and looked forward to seeing.
Harford County Public Schools said Morgan worked for an independent contractor rather than directly for the district. The district nevertheless controls certification for drivers transporting public school students. In a statement, the district said certification and decertification decisions are not always based on a single event and can involve several circumstances and requirements.
The district said student safety remains its top priority and that certification decisions are made with that responsibility in mind. Officials declined to explain whether the kitten incident alone caused Morgan’s removal or whether other factors were considered. Cleary Transportation Inc., identified in reports as Morgan’s employer, did not publicly provide a detailed explanation of the decision.
Morgan told CBS News Baltimore that the loss of her route left her devastated. Parents supporting her have also said they recognize that school transportation rules exist to protect children. Kalambihis said allowing Alex off the bus was a mistake and should not have happened, but she believes the matter could have been handled in another way rather than ending Morgan’s work on the route.
The case has drawn wider attention because the competing concerns are clear: Morgan’s supporters see a longtime driver responding compassionately to an injured animal, while school officials are responsible for enforcing transportation rules designed to keep students under supervision. The district has not publicly detailed the standards it determined Morgan violated or disclosed all factors considered in the certification decision.
As of Oct. 12, parents were continuing to push for Morgan to be reinstated. The district had not announced a reversal of its decision, and it remained unclear whether Morgan had a formal path to regain certification and return to her former route.
Author note: Last updated October 12, 2026.