A Virginia preschool teacher was fired after footage caught her allegedly tying a toddler to a chair in a private school classroom.
The unidentified teacher’s assistant was seen on surveillance footage tying the one-year-old to a chair using a blanket at VINCI School Alexandria North – a private preschool and elementary school.
A Virginia Department of Social Services inspected the school on August 21 after receiving a self-report on forbidden actions from the daycare’s licensing office, AXLNow reported.
The report obtained by the outlet alleged that the assistant tied the child up during lunch time around 11.40am on August 13 in the Junior Toddler classroom for 22 minutes.
‘[The teacher] stated that they “did not tie the blanket strong around the child,”” the report stated.
According to the report, the teacher said her reason for tying up the toddler was because the child threw food on the floor and got up from the table while they were supposed to be eating, the outlet reported.
The assistant reportedly didn’t attempt redirection to get the child to sit back down.
The unidentified teacher’s assistant was seen on surveillance footage tying the one-year-old to a chair using a blanket at VINCI School Alexandria North – a private preschool and elementary school
The report obtained by the outlet alleged that the assistant tied the child up during lunch time around 11.40am on August 13 in the Junior Toddler classroom for 22 minutes
In a statement to WUSA9, VINCI School’s Founding Principal Dr. Dan Yang said: ‘In our situation, we are committed to full transparency.
‘In child care there are many thing that are not black and white. However, we are a very firm believer that regulations and rules must be followed regardless of our feelings to the person in question.’
‘She did make a big mistake violating regulations but she had no evidence to have abuse or have caused any harm to the child,’ Yang added.
Another adult entered the room while the toddler was tied to the chair, and did not untie the child.
That adult was identified as the lead teacher of the class and was formally written up, 13 News Now reported.
An email sent to parents, obtained by the outlet, said that the incident was discovered by the regional director of operations, Kristina Milam, two days after the fact as she reviewed security footage.
‘We know that this assistant, who served VINCI for over four years, was well-liked by many families,’ the email said.
‘While we appreciate her past contributions, every individual must be accountable for their actions, and maintaining a safe, compliant environment can not be traded off.’
According to the DSS report, the child had not been crying or in distress while being restrained.
VINCI Schools Founding Principal Dr. Dan Yang (pictured) said: ‘She did make a big mistake violating regulations but she had no evidence to have abuse or have caused any harm to the child’
An email sent to parents, obtained by 13 News Now, said that the incident was discovered by the regional director of operations, Kristina Milam, two days after the fact as she reviewed security footage
The Department of Social Services said VINCI School has a ‘Prohibited Practices & Behavior Management Policy,’ which bans the physical restraint of children, including to chairs, car seats, strollers or any other device, in the form of discipline or in lieu of supervision.
It is only warranted as a last resort to prevent the child from hurting themselves or others.
Staff at the school were required to complete further training and the school reviewed its behavior management policy, DSS said.
Local resident Acacia Komelasky told 13 News Now: ‘As a former teacher, that should never happen. We’re human beings. I don’t even restrain my animal in that fashion.’
‘You have to model, and you teach them what is the correct behavior but never a restraint because that causes fear and builds a barrier,’ she added.
Alexandria Police told the outlet they were made aware of the incident through Child Protective Services, and determined no criminal activity was involved.
The Daily Mail reached out to VINCI School Alexandria North and the Virginia Department of Social Services for comment.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .