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On April 4, 2024, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging that teacher Cassadee Turner in the Preschool 2-year-old room had one leg over one child and her body was laying on another child. She was trying to get them to go to sleep on their cots. The allegation is substantiated based on the following information:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)7. Physical punishment including, but not limited to, spanking, slapping, shaking, biting, or pulling hair shall be prohibited.
AND
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)9. - Punishment or threat of punishment shall not be associated with food, rest, or toilet training.
On April 9, 2024, CI Radney conducted interviews with Tana Betts and Abby King. Tana Betts reported Parent A called her Thursday morning and said that Child A said Cassadee put her legs across her at nap. She reviewed camera footage and found two times that Cassadee did put her legs over Child A. Abby and Cassadee said they thought it was allowed to put their legs over children on their cot to keep them still. She considers this a restraint. Abby King reported she was in the classroom with Cassadee when Cassadee draped her leg over Child A. It wasn't Cassadee's whole body weight so Child A was still able to move. It was an attempt to get Child A to lay still so she would fall asleep. She can see how it looked like a restraint.
On April 9, 2024, CI Radney received and reviewed video footage provided by K.I.D.Z., Inc. There are two video clips. The first video clip is dated April 3, 2024 and time stamped 12:49 p.m. The video shows Cassadee Turner sitting on the floor between two children on cots. Cassadee is patting the two children's backs while they lay on their stomachs. At 12:51:45, Cassadee pulls Child A's cot toward her. At 12:51:51, Cassadee puts her right leg across Child A's body and her left arm across Child B's body. At 12:51:55, Cassadee puts her right arm across Child B's body. At 12:53:45, Cassadee moves her right arm to cover Child B's legs. At 12:56:58, Cassadee sits up and takes her arms off of Child B who continues to lay still on the cot. At 12:57:01, Cassadee takes her leg off of Child A. The second video clip is dated April 3, 2024 and time stamped 1:19:39 PM. Cassadee is sitting on the floor between Child A and Child B's cots. At 1:20:35, Cassadee moves Child A's cot, lays on her back between the two cots and puts her right leg across Child A's body. At 1:28:03, Cassadee sits up and takes her leg off of Child A.
On April 10, 2024, CI Radney conducted an interview with Parent A. On Wednesday evening, she was putting Child A to sleep and asked if she took a nap today. Child A said "Cassadee was mean to me and put her legs on me." Child A said again "She put her legs on me." Child A said it made her feel sad.
Cassadee Turner used physical punishment and punishment associated with rest when on two occasions, Cassadee puts one leg across Child A for approximately five minutes and seven and a half minutes, while Child A is laying on her stomach on a cot. Additionally, Cassadee used one or both arms across Child B's body on one occasion for a period of approximately five minutes.
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