Video showing teacher's "aggressive" behavior at a Minnesota daycare has parents concerned
PLYMOUTH, Minn. — Za'Kiyah Thomas recently recorded a video from inside the classroom where she worked in Plymouth at Lil' Explorers Childcare Center.
"The lead teacher I work with in the early classroom with two- and three-year-old's was just being super aggressive, grabbing kids by the arm, slamming them into chairs, pushing them into tables, slamming stuff in front of them, snatching things out of their hands, screaming in their face," Thomas told WCCO.
Thomas says the kids are all under 4 years old.
She tells us she made a complaint to management at the daycare and reported it to the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
"It definitely was an uncomfortable situation, but yesterday I decided to take a step back so I could get it on camera because I knew it was going to be my last day and I couldn't just leave my kids there with her without me to protect them to make sure they were okay," Thomas said.
Plymouth police tell us there is an active investigation into what happened at the center.
A check of state records shows several violations from children who were subjected to prohibited disciplinary actions and areas used by kids that weren't kept up. Corrections were made after all of the violations, but this video posted on social media has parents coming forward.
One mother told WCCO she also reported the teacher to the directors of the facility.
When presented with this new video, the mother said it brought back bad memories of her two children's experiences at Lil' Explorers Childcare Center in Buffalo, Minnesota.
She says the verbal and mental abuse her then-kindergartener experienced at the center led to a PTSD diagnosis by doctors.
Erika Sopkowiak, a mother whose daughter attends the facility, was devastated after watching these clips.
"How can I trust somebody else? I can't afford a nanny, it's too expensive," Sopkowiak said. "Where do I go from here? I don't know, I can't afford to stop working."
Cadence Education is the parent company of Lil' Explorers.
In regards to the Plymouth case, they told us safety is their top priority saying, "We do not tolerate behavior of this kind, and the individuals involved are no longer employed with us. In addition, we have initiated an investigation into this issue and are fully cooperating with authorities."
