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On August 24, 2023, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that on July 28, 2023, sometime between 10 AM and 11 AM, Ms. Riley grabbed two children by their arms and forced them into chairs. Ms. Riley also placed a child against the wall so that their nose was to the wall and yelled at the children in the 2-year-old classroom. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Ian Fyfe has found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following evidence:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)3., which states that: "Only constructive, age-appropriate methods of discipline shall be used to help children develop self-control and assume responsibility for their own actions."
AND
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)8., which states that: "No discipline technique which is humiliating, threatening, or frightening to children shall be used. Children shall not be shamed, ridiculed, or spoken to harshly, abusively, or with profanity."
AND
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)9., which states that: "Punishment or threat of punishment shall not be associated with food, rest, or toilet training."
On August 29, 2023, Compliance Inspector (CI) Ian Fyfe conducted an unannounced inspection to The Goddard School and interviewed Director Ashleigh Johnson, Director Jill Cronin, and staff member Ivory Lawrence. Neither Ms. Cronin nor Ms. Johnson were familiar with the July 28 incident described in the reported concerns. Ms. Lawrence, who acted as a coach in the classroom for Ms. O'Neil, observed an incident involving Ms. O'Neil and an unknown child that is consistent with the reported concerns. On an unknown date, Ms. Lawrence was walking Child A (2-years-old) and Parent A (parent of Child A) to Ms. O'Neil's classroom when Ms. Lawrence observed Ms. O'Neil aggressively grab the unknown child by their arm and sit them into a chair. She remembers Ms. O'Neil using a loud, stern tone with the child during the incident. Ms. Lawrence has also seen Ms. O'Neil become impatient and anxious in the classroom, yell at the children, and inappropriately use timeout with the children in the 2-year-old classroom. Ms. Lawrence expressed the three latter concerns with Ms. Cronin and Ms. Johnson but did not inform them of the grabbing incident that she had seen. On August 18, 2023, at approximately 11:45 AM, Ms. Cronin was walking by Ms. O'Neil's classroom and heard Ms. O'Neil raising her voice towards Child B (2-years-old) after Child B kicked her. Ms. Cronin confronted Ms. O'Neil and briefly left the classroom. About five to ten minutes later, Ms. Cronin returned to the classroom and heard Ms. O'Neil yelling at the class of 2-year-olds as a whole. Ms. O'Neil appeared to be frustrated that the children were not listening to her and then threatened to withhold milk from the children if they did not stop banging their cups. Ms. O'Neil was written up for her behaviors the same day but quit immediately after receiving the write up. Her co-teacher in the 2-year-old classroom was typically staff member Holly Duck.
On September 21, 2023, CI Fyfe interviewed Parent A (parent of Child A). On July 28, 2023, Parent A walked into Child A?s classroom during drop-off and observed the reported concerns. Parent A observed Ms. O'Neil aggressively pull a child into a chair and then face the chair towards the wall. The child's nose was touching the wall. Ms. O'Neil proceeded to yell at the rest of the children in the room to sit in their chairs. Ms. O'Neil also aggressively pulled two children back into their chairs after they tried to stand up. On July 31, 2023, Parent A reported the concerns to one of the directors at the facility and withdrew Child A's from the facility's care.
On September 21, 2023, CI Fyfe interviewed Parent C (parent of Child B). Parent B did not express any concerns regarding the care that Child B receives at the facility. Child B has never made any concerning disclosures to Parent B regarding her caregivers or the facility.
On September 21, 2023, CI Fyfe interviewed Riley O'Neil. Ms. O'Neil no longer works at the facility. She is familiar with the reported concerns but denied that she yelled at the children or pulled them aggressively. The only child that she placed in a chair on the day of the reported concerns was Child C (2-years-old).
On September 26, 2023, CI Fyfe interviewed Parent D (parent of Child C). Parent D saw Ms. O'Neil grab Child C (2-years-old) by his arm and pull him to a chair. This happened towards the end of July this year. While the grab was not aggressive, it was inappropriate. Child C was not upset and did not have any marks afterwards. Ms. O'Neil grabbed Child C after he had knocked over a chair.
On September 21, 2023, CI Fyfe attempted to interview Holly Duck but was unsuccessful.
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