|
On December 18, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a complaint alleging that the teacher was filling water bottles and handed one bottle to a girl. Child A grabbed the water bottle from the girl. The teacher snatched it and then sat Child A down. Child A grabbed the water bottle again after the water bottle was returned to the child. Child A was grabbed by the arm and forced by the teacher to the ground. Then she took Child A`s water bottle and pushed it into his chest, stating you need to drink your bottle. The father said that Child A "was forcibly and aggressively sat down by the teacher". He was placed on his bum. Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an investigation of the allegation and found it to be substantiated based on the following information:
RSMo 210.254.2. - The notice of parental responsibility shall include the following: (5) The disciplinary philosophy and policies of the child-care facility.
On December 19, 2025, CI Radney received and reviewed the facility's Notice of Parental Responsibility. The Discipline Policy states "Discipline at Kingswood shall be maintained in a way that is fair, consistent, and guided with love. We believe in using a positive approach to discipline. Proper planning, developing routines, and smooth transitions are key to a well-disciplined classroom. We understand that children develop at their own rate. Our goal as facilitators is to help children articulate their needs and wants, offer real choices, set consistent limits, acknowledge their feelings, model appropriate behaviors, be observant, and anticipate and plan for transitions."
On December 19, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted interviews with Ashton Johnson, Director Allison Riddle and Leiah O'Neal. Allison reported she was not present when this incident occurred. Alyssa was in charge. Their discipline policy is to simply redirect and model good behavior. She does not feel this was following their discipline policy. Ashton reported she was not in the room when the incident happened, but Leiah told her what happened. She went to Alyssa and notified her of Leiah's concern. Leiah said Candice was being aggressive and firm with children. Leiah said she saw Candice pulling Child A aggressively by the arm and yanking him down to the ground on his butt. When she told Alyssa, they pulled it up on the video footage. In the video, Child A took a friend's water bottle and Candice grabbed it from him. Child A took it again and Candice grabbed it and yanked or pulled him down to the ground and got in his face. She couldn't hear what was said but Leiah said that Candice was telling Child A something like "I'm sick of you taking water bottles." She couldn't see in the video if Child A was crying, but he just sat there. She did not see red marks or bruises on Child A. They are supposed to use redirection or distraction for discipline with the infants and toddlers. Leiah reported she was in the room with Candice when the incident occurred. Child A took another child's water bottle. Candice took it back and gave it to the correct child. Child A did it again. Candice got upset with Child A and yanked him by the arm with her hand and plopped him aggressively on the ground and got close to him and in a stern voice said something to him like "You're pissing me off, we don't take other kids water bottles, I've told you multiple times." Child A just sat there, dropped his water cup and then walked away. She didn't see any red marks or bruises on his arm or bottom. She thinks Candice's behavior would be intimidating, threatening or scary for a child. They are supposed to give warnings for discipline.
On February 4, 2026, CI Radney conducted an interview with Alyssa Coffey. She was there the day the incident took place. A teacher came to her and told her about the concern that Candice wasn't being very kind. She looked at the camera footage and then she called Candice in to the office and talked to her about how that wasn't an appropriate response. The video showed Child A took another child's cup. Candice got onto the child once. She remembers seeing her snatch the water bottle from him and yanked him to the ground. She remembers not liking what happened on the video. It wasn't the kindest approach. Candice was not following the discipline policy as she was not redirecting or modeling good behavior. She did not observe red marks or bruises on Child A.
On February 4, 2026, CI Radney conducted an interview with Candice Jennings. She was very stressed out. She went to do something else, Child A took the water bottle. She told Ashton she needed help and she called Child A over there. She took the water bottle from him and sat him on his butt and said they don't take water bottles from others. She did raise her voice and she was frustrated and overwhelmed, but she doesn't think she was yelling. The facility's discipline policy is to sit the child down in a chair for one minute. That is what she was doing but she shouldn't have raised her voice at the child. She grabbed his arm and kind of pulled him to the ground. Her goal was to redirect him but raising her voice was not modeling good behavior.
On February 5, 2026, CI Radney received and reviewed video footage of the incident. The video is dated December 12, 2025 and the video begins at 10:23 a.m. At 10:24:56, Child A takes a water bottle away from another child and begins to walk away. At 10:25:18, Candice walks over to Child A and yanks the water bottle out of his hands and does not say anything to Child A. Child A continues to walk away. At 10:25:37, Child A takes the water bottle away from the same child. At 10:25:45, Candice pulls the water bottle out of Child A's hands and hands it back to the other child. She uses her right hand on Child A's left upper arm area and pushes him backward and down to the floor. At 10:25:48, she gives Child A his water bottle and says "No, this is yours." As Candice stands up and turns to walk away from Child A, she says "No, I'm tired of it." The rest of what she says is intelligible on video. The volume used is louder than when she is talking in the rest of the video. Child A remains sitting and looking around. Child A does not appear to cry.
Based on the information provided, Candice was not following the facility's discipline policy, according to the Notice of Parental Responsibility, when she yanked a water bottle away from Child A and forced him to sit on the ground.
|