PETA backs petition to reinstate bus driver fired over kitten rescue

An online petition calling for the longtime bus driver’s reinstatement has garnered more than 10,200 signatures

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PETA is backing a growing push to get a Maryland school bus driver her job back after she was fired for allowing a student to rescue an injured kitten from the side of a rural road.

Now, PETA is urging the Harford County Board of Education to reverse the decision, saying that Morgan shouldn't be punished for letting a child help an animal in need.

"Schools routinely say they want students to become caring, engaged citizens," PETA wrote in a letter to the board Tuesday.

The animal rights group also called on officials to reinstate Morgan, writing: "Student safety and compassion are not rival electives. Harford County's children deserve adults who can model both."

A Change.org petition calling for Morgan's reinstatement has gathered more than 10,200 signatures by Wednesday, up from 9,000 on Tuesday, according to PETA.

PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O'Brien said the incident should be an opportunity to encourage compassion, not a reason to fire Morgan.

Morgan has also received support from parents who say she goes above and beyond for the children on her bus, often buying school supplies, holiday gifts and birthday cards with her own money.

Kalambihis said Morgan stopped on a quiet, rural road where traffic was minimal, adding that she wouldn't have let a child off the bus in a busier area. Still, she believes the longtime driver shouldn't have lost her job over the incident.

Morgan worked for an independent transportation contractor, rather than directly for the district, Harford County Public Schools reportedly told CBS News Baltimore. Still, the school system is responsible for certifying drivers who transport its students.

"Certification and decertification are not always based on a single factor but often involve consideration of multiple circumstances and requirements…. Student safety remains our top priority, and all certification decisions are made with that responsibility in mind," the district said in a statement to CBS News Baltimore.