A Pinellas Park mother said she rushed to pick up her 1-year-old daughter from daycare after receiving a call Monday that no parent ever wants to get: a teacher had struck her child.
Keyarah Wilson said her daughter attended Fundamentals Early Learning Center in Pinellas Park.
Wilson told News Channel 8 she noticed bruising on her daughter’s face and stomach when she arrived and was later shown video from inside the classroom.
“Yesterday, I got a call roughly around … 12:40 about my daughter being hit by her teacher,” Wilson said.
Wilson said staff members told her to contact law enforcement after showing her what happened.
She took her daughter to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, where she said doctors noted a bulge on one side of the child’s stomach and a scar on her face.
Pinellas Park police arrested KK, who appeared in court Tuesday wearing an orange jumpsuit. A judge told her she is charged with felony child abuse. Wilson urged the court to hold Kerti without bond.
“My child is very hurt … it’s no way she should’ve been working at a daycare,” Wilson said.
K’s mother also spoke in court, saying her daughter has post-traumatic stress and loves children.
“K would never hurt a child, the video obviously shows that, Kerti’s mom told the judge. “K has a lot of post-traumatic stress in her life; she has been diagnosed with it, and these kids are the loves of her life.”
The judge set Ks bond at $20,000 and ordered no contact with the victim.
Wilson said she is now reconsidering childcare options.
“I don’t even want to put my daughter in daycare anymore,” she said in court. “I want to stay home with her.”
The day care facility issued the following statement to News Channel 8:
Upon a standard review of classroom camera footage, our center immediately reported the situation to the appropriate authorities, notified the family, and terminated the employee involved. We fully complied with all required Department of Children and Families (DCF), Pinellas County Licensing Board, and other agency protocols. The individual had successfully passed all required background screenings prior to employment, and no disqualifying offenses or convictions were identified at that time or during their employment.
Due to privacy regulations, we are unable to discuss details related to any specific family or child, but we have fully cooperated with DCF, child care licensing, and other relevant authorities throughout their review process and will continue to do everything we can to ensure this individual never works with children again.
Emily Ralston, Executive Director of FUNdamentals Early Learning Programs
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Source: wfla
