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On August 25, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a complaint alleging on August 14, 2025, Child A (3 years old) threw a puzzle piece and hit another child in the eye. Mary Jo then flicked Child A in the face to "show her what it felt like." 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)7. - Physical punishment including, but not limited to, spanking, slapping, shaking, biting, or pulling hair shall be prohibited.
On August 28, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Betty Quigley, Mary Jo Blevins, and Child B. Mary Jo reported on August 14, 2025, in the morning, Child A and Child B were in the puzzle area playing with a puzzle. Child A hit Child B in the mouth with a puzzle piece. Child B didn't bleed, wasn't injured, but she did cry. She talked to Child A, and Child A wouldn't say what happened. Child B said Child A hit her in the mouth. She asked Child A if it was an accident, Child A shrugged her shoulders and said "No". She asked Child A if she hit Child B in the mouth on purpose and Child A said "Yes" but then said "No". She lightly took her middle finger and thumb and flicked Child A on the mouth once. She said "How did that make you feel?" Child A said "bad". Child A flinched a little bit but did not cry. Parent A picked up Child A about 30 minutes later, and she told him about what had happened. Betty reported she was not here when the incident with Child A happened. Mary Jo told her about flicking Child A in the mouth because Child A hit another child. Child B reported she is 3 years old. Mary Jo and Betty are her teachers. Child A was playing with her. "Child A swiped that puzzle on me."
On October 21, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Parent A (Child A's parent). He reported he went to pick up Child A. Child A was sitting at a table by herself, and she came to him. Mary Jo waved him down and came up and looked aggravated. Mary Jo said Child A hit a kid with a puzzle piece on the lip. He looked at Child A and asked if she said sorry, and she dug her head into his shoulder. Mary Jo said "You did not say sorry, [Child A]!" and was noticeably upset about it still. Mary Jo said she flicked Child A in the mouth to show her what it felt like. Child A was crying pretty hard as soon as Mary Jo brought it up and appeared scared, burying her head in his shoulder. Later Child A told him that Mary Jo flicked her in the mouth hard and it hurt her.
On October 21, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Parent B (Child A's parent). She reported Parent A called immediately after he left the daycare. She and Parent A talked about it. Child A told her what happened. She said Mary Jo flicked her and it hurt. She does cover her mouth if she is in trouble, like she is afraid of getting flicked in the mouth.
Mary Jo Blevins used physical punishment when she flicked Child A on the mouth for discipline.
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