Bullied bus monitor receives money for retirement (and then some) via crowdfunding

By: Christian Williams, Social Media Specialist

I was somewhat pleased to hear about the coming retirement of Karen Klein from her job as an upstate New York public school system bus monitor. She deserves it.

Last month, the social networking world took the bullied bus monitor and grandmother from Greece, NY, under its wing while unleashing its fury upon the group of middle schoolers whose periodic tormenting reached a despicable level and was captured by cell phone camera and posted on YouTube The 10-minute clip shows a group of rude, mean-spirited seventh-graders hurling insults and profanities at Karen as she sits, crying, on the adjacent bus seat. (The four boys were later suspended from the Greece Central School District for the 2012-2013 school year; they also have to perform 50 hours of community service with senior citizens.)

An Internet user named Max Sidorov started an Indiegogo crowdfunding project in Karen’s honor, and it proceeded to go viral via social media networks. Crowdfunding involves asking a crowd of people (usually through social media) to donate defined amounts of money to support a specific cause. Most of the time, rewards (such as special event invitations, t-shirts and other paraphernalia) are given to those who donate. Non-profits can use this method to fund specific aspects of a fundraising campaign.

The campaign was originally supposed to raise $5,000 to send her on a dream vacation. But as more people watched the video, more money was donated. By the end of the campaign, 32,000 funders from at least 84 countries and all 50 U.S. states donated an impressive  $703, 833, nearly 47 times her annual $15,000-a-year income.

Making this even sweeter: Another stranger started a separate campaign to provide Sidorov with a reward for his passion and leadership in starting the efforts to help Klein. That project also surpassed its goal, raising $7,465.

A month later, Sidorovi is at it again – this time to raise money for anti-bullying initiatives including a documentary and nonprofit organization.

Before we entered the Facebook and mobile social media age, people witnessing something like this happen right in front of them would have had a far more challenging time turning outrage into action. A phone call to the media? Sure. A lucky (or unlucky) bystander’s camcorder taping? Also possible, but unlikely.  

Now, however, many Internet users can’t bear to sit back and watch while injustice is documented and unfolds on their screens. Crowdfunding has made it easy for passionate individuals near and far to break out their credit cards and support causes they believe in – whether it involves a long-term goal like funding the fight against bullying, or short-term, involving a mission to make one bullied bus monitor’s day.

In Karen Klein’s case, mission accomplished.