A preschool teacher’s assistant has been fired for allegedly tying up a 21-month-old child in an incident captured on surveillance video, according to a social services report from Virginia.
The employee at VINCI School Alexandria North received a dismissal, according to state inspectors, for tying the child to a chair with a blanket, as reported by WCSC.
Last month, the Virginia Department of Social Services paid a visit to the preschool after the school reported the incident to the state licensing office and child protective services.
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The assistant said during lunch, the toddler hurled food and shifted tables, leading the assistant to detain the child for 22 minutes. She later explained she did not tightly tie the blanket around the toddler.
The four-year employee in question, according to VINCI schools, was adored by many parents, but the team was forced to fire her for breaking the policy that forbids restraint unless it is necessary to keep children from harming themselves or others.
“You know, in child care, there are many things that are not black and white. However, we are a very firm believer that the regulations and rules must be followed regardless of our feelings,” said VINCI Schools’ Founding Principal Dr. Dan Yan.
“She did make a big mistake violating regulations; however, she had no evidence to have abused or has have caused any harm to any child,” Yang added.
According to social services, there was a teacher present, but that person did nothing. That teacher received a written report and was advised to report incidents, even if they were confused.
Employees were also asked to complete additional training and study the behavior management policy.
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After concluding that there was no malicious intent and that the child was not harmed, child protective services decided not to press charges against the employee, according to an email sent out to families by the school.
Michael Sedgley, an Alexandria resident, told WCSC, “It sounds like they’re on top of it, and that’s a good thing.”
In another incident, a 75-year-old daycare worker was taken into custody for allegedly mistreating a baby at a Christian preschool over the summer. Gladys Rampersant, a resident of North Charleston, has been charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.
After opening on July 26 of this year, Sweetgrass Christian Academy, where she worked, has been shut down for good.
According to WCSC, Rampersant was engaging with a baby under the age of one, yanking them up by the arms and shaking the newborn forcefully before “slamming” the child into a cot.
READ ALSO: Daycare employee accused of abusing baby at Christian preschool
