A mother in Los Angeles is seeking answers after footage emerged of a daycare worker throwing a shoe at her 5-year-old daughter, who has special needs.
This incident occurred at the Destiny Development Center in Englewood on January 16. Surveillance footage captured the yet-to-be-identified worker removing the child’s shoes and hurling them at her, making the child cry from the impact.
Two other staff members were present during the incident and appeared to be laughing.
Michele Jones, the girl’s mother, expressed her shock upon learning of the attack, stating that she thought her child was safe. “I spent three years with these guys. I really thought I was safe with the baby,” she said.
Jones learned about the incident from her daughter, which led her to reach out to the daycare’s director. However, she felt that the staff’s reaction was insufficient.
According to reports, Jones was not allowed to see the surveillance video for over two weeks.
Kira Townsend, the girl’s aunt, raised concerns about the center’s safety protocols, asking, “How do you say you’re a business and you’re not going to check the footage unless the parents say something?” She found it troubling that they relied on the child to report the incident.
The daycare director, Daniel Williams, informed Jones that he was investigating the situation. He later stated that the shoe had been thrown accidentally during an attempt to toss it into another room. “My school, what we stand for, is not child abuse. We don’t hire child abusers,” Williams asserted.
Ultimately, the worker, referred to as “Emily,” was terminated, along with two other employees who witnessed the event but failed to report it.
However, Jones remains concerned that this might not have been an isolated incident. She is calling for criminal charges against the worker for assault and child abuse. “You need to go to jail just like any other child abuser,” she insisted. “That’s what I want. Justice.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is currently looking into the matter.
