A Los Angeles daycare centre is embroiled in controversy after shocking surveillance footage emerged showing a staff member throwing a shoe at a five-year-old special needs student, striking the child on the ear. The incident, which occurred on January 16 at the Destiny Development Center, has prompted firings, a police investigation, and calls for criminal charges.
Disturbing Footage Captures Assault
Video from the daycare's security cameras depicts the teacher, identified only as Ms. Emily, removing her shoe and hurling it across the classroom directly at the young girl, named Beautyful. The projectile hit the child, who immediately began crying. In the footage, Ms. Emily can be heard approaching Beautyful and stating, 'I'm so sorry I didn't mean to hit you.' Two other teachers were present during the altercation; one appeared to be laughing while another continued tidying the room. Crucially, neither staff member reported the incident to management or the child's family.
Family's Outrage and Delayed Discovery
Beautyful's mother, Michelae Jones, expressed profound distress, telling local media she had trusted the daycare with her daughters for three years. 'I really thought my baby was safe with them,' Jones lamented. The family only learned of the event when Beautyful herself recounted it, prompting her aunt, Kira Townsend, to question the centre's protocols. 'Why do I have to wait for my niece to come and tell us: "Hey, my teacher hit me in the ear with a shoe"?' Townsend demanded.
It took two weeks after the family alerted the director for Jones to review the surveillance video, which confirmed her daughter's account. Jones is now advocating for Ms. Emily's arrest on charges of assault and child abuse, arguing the act was intentional.
Daycare Response and Terminations
Danielle Williams, director of Destiny Development Center, issued a public apology on Facebook, emphasising that such an event was unprecedented at the facility. 'When we hire staff, we cannot predict that there may be a day when they decide to abuse a child...' Williams wrote. She detailed that all employees undergo rigorous screening, including background checks, FBI indexing, and training, and noted Ms. Emily had shown no prior indications of harmful behaviour.
Nevertheless, Williams confirmed that Ms. Emily and the two bystander teachers were terminated following the incident. 'We do not stand for abuse and neglect of a child of any kind. All staff have been terminated that were involved,' she asserted. However, Williams reportedly suggested to Jones that the shoe-throwing was accidental, claiming the teacher was aiming for another room to remove misplaced footwear—an explanation the family disputes.
Ongoing Investigation and Broader Concerns
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has opened an investigation into the matter, though no arrests have been made as of yet. In a since-deleted Instagram post, Jones raised alarms about whether this was an isolated occurrence, noting that Beautyful had previously come home reporting harm from Ms. Emily. This has fuelled concerns about oversight and reporting mechanisms within the daycare.
The incident underscores critical issues in childcare safety, particularly for vulnerable special needs students. As the community awaits further developments, the case highlights the imperative for stringent staff monitoring and transparent incident reporting to prevent such distressing events from recurring.
