Bullied Upstate New York School Bus Monitor Launches Anti-Bullying Foundation

GREECE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - An upstate New York bus monitor who was reduced to tears as she was bullied by middle school students is giving back.

A 10-minute-long video showing the seventh graders taunt and torment her was posted to YouTube and went viral.

Karen Klein's story sparked nationwide outrage and prompted 32,000 people to donate money on her behalf. In all, more than $700,000 was raised, so Klein has launched her own anti-bullying foundation.

The Karen Klein Anti-Bullying Foundation has been established as part of the GiveBack Foundation, which allows individuals to set up foundations online.

"I'm hoping I can do well. It just makes me feel good hearing from all these people from all over and a lot of them poured out their life stories to me," Klein told WCBS 880.

According to Klein's page on GiveBack's website, she's using $100,000 of her donated funds to start her foundation to support anti-bullying initiatives around the world.

"I'm hoping that kids stop bullying other kids and I hope that the kids that are being bullied will be able to stand up for themselves. That's the hardest part. They're afraid to tell anybody because they might suffer consequences," Klein told WCBS 880.

The 68-year-old from suburban Rochester said last month that she was retiring. Klein had worked for the school district for 23 years.

The four students who taunted Klein were suspended for a year and one of the student's parents came forward to apologize to Klein.

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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