A new video has gone viral on the internet, but this one isn’t a charming film of fuzzy animals or an intriguing music video. Recently, Karen Klein, an elderly school bus monitor, was caught on tape sitting quietly while four kids on her bus taunted her with extremely graphic language. According to CBS News, the seventh grade boys are now receiving death threats because the video has enraged so many viewers. The grandmother of eight who was verbally taunted on the bus has already received more than $519,190 in sympathy donations.

CBS says that Karen Klein has been working as a bus monitor and driver for 23 years in the suburb of Rochester, New York. In a painstakingly saddening 10 minute video, the boys taunt and torment Karen Klein, who politely tries to ignore their profane and hurtful conversation about her appearance. As the video progresses, the seventh-graders progress from negative comments about her weight to fantasies about how they could stab and torture her. The video sparked viewers to set up a donation website so that they could send her on a recovery vacation. While the original goal was a mere $5,000, the viral video has motivated thousands to contribute to the fund.

When interviewed, Klein said that two of the children taunting her are simply jerks, and two are rotten apples. The bullies’ parents have been notified of their children’s actions, and one father came to Klein’s house to give a heartfelt apology. Kind and forgiving, Klein was more concerned that the families would be safe after they have been receiving death threats from angry men and women who viewed the video. She says that she is grateful that the parents have responded to their children’s actions in a severe manner and none of the boys have gone unpunished for their verbal harassments. She says that she wants to hear apologies from the kids eventually, but would prefer not to see them in person.

Despite their blatant verbal abuse and clear evidence of the occurrence, Klein says she does not want to press charges. She says she wouldn’t mind if the boys were forced to participate in community service or were restricted from riding the bus. However, she is not keen on having them sent to juvenile hall for their actions. The U.S. National Library of Medicine states that sometimes male youth have a tendency to resort to verbal abuse because of a lack of self-control. If prosecuted for the abuse, teens can face time in juvenile hall, fines, and other punishments. According to the California Penal Code §422 (2012), any person who threatens to commit a crime which will result in death or bodily injury can be imprisoned for up to 1 year.

Even though these bullies were simply taunting for their own entertainment, their inconsiderate words could have gotten them into big trouble. If you have been charged with verbal abuse or a death threat, you will want a criminal defense attorney on your side. These charges can be serious and can send you to jail for a year or more. Also, like these boys, people may hear about your case and become very angry with you, even to the point of submitting death threats of their own. In many situations, a person with viable evidence such as footage from a bus can prosecute. Other times, verbal abuse and death threat cases are more of a “he-said she-said” situation. When this happens, you will want an aggressive lawyer to prove that you are innocent. Contact someone in your area today!