| Conclusion Summary |
|
On June 30, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a complaint alleging that teacher Jennifer Age was seen on camera putting her hand over Child A's (3 years old) mouth and head and pushing her head backwards. Jennifer picked her up aggressively, sat her on a chair, and then pushed Child A into a cabinet and walked away. Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an investigation of the allegation and found it to be substantiated based on the following information:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)3. - 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. - 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.
On July 1, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted interviews with Ashlynn Earls and Parent A (who is also a caregiver). Ashlynn reported the incident occurred on Wednesday June 25, 2025 at 10:45 a.m. Two children were fighting; Child A and another child. Parent A happened to be watching the video of Child A's classroom when the incident occurred. Parent A saw it happen and went to the classroom immediately to get Child A. The allegations as reported are accurate. Parent A reported Child A and another child were fighting. Jennifer came out and got on to them and they started fighting again. Jennifer grabbed Child A's chin/mouth and the back of her head and pulled her backward twice. Jennifer then picked her up using both hands aggressively and put her under her arm. As soon as Jennifer picked Child A up like that, she left the office and went to the classroom to get Child A. When she walked in, Child A was sitting in the chair facing the cabinet. She went back to the office and reviewed the video to see what happened between when she quit watching the video to go get Child A and when she walked in the classroom. The video showed Jennifer sit Child A down forcefully in a chair and push the chair into the cabinet. Child A did not say anything to her about it at first, but later she said Ms. Jenn hurt her and she was scared of Ms. Jenn.
On July 1, 2025, CI Radney received and reviewed video footage of the incident. The time stamp reads 6/25/25 Wed 10:46:50 AM. JJennifer walks toward Child A, who is sitting on the ground. Jennifer grabs Child A's face and head, with her left hand on Child A's mouth/chin area and her right hand behind Child A's head. Jennifer yanks Child A's head backward and gets close to her face. Jennifer puts her hand over Child A's mouth. Jennifer picks Child A up using both hands; Child A is kicking her legs. Jennifer swings Child A around her body and carries Child A on her left hip with her left arm. Jennifer plops Child A down in a blue chair aggressively and pushes the chair into a white cabinet. Child A's knees hit the cabinet and Child A's hands go up to brace herself. Jennifer uses her foot to keep Child A from scooting the chair away from the cabinet.
On July 30, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Jennifer Page. She was frustrated earlier in the day and told Parent A earlier that she was frustrated and had taken time to do some breathing techniques and was better. After lunch, she was going back and forth between the room and bathroom potty-training children. The kids kept getting up and running around. Child A was supposed to be sitting and watching something on the television. Child A wasn't listening. She touched Child A's chin and she pulled it down. She touched it again but Child A jerked her head back away from her. She was trying to make eye contact. Child A spit in her face. She decided to put Child A in time out. She lightly covered Child A's mouth and got Child A up a little rougher than she should have. It was too fast. She carried Child A over to the chair and pushed her toward the counter. She just did it all too fast and too rough.
Jennifer Page was not using constructive, age-appropriate methods of discipline when she put her hands on Child A's face, yanked her head back, picked her up aggressively, plopped her down aggressively in a chair, and then pushed the chair into the cabinet, causing her knees to hit the cabinet. This discipline technique was frightening to Child A, who reported to Parent A that Ms. Jenn hurt her and she was scared of Ms. Jenn.
|