Two daycare teachers in South Carolina are facing charges for reportedly encouraging 3 and 4-year-old children under their care to fight each other and allow the violence to continue without intervention, according to the police, reports Fox. 27-year-old Ericka Jones and 56-year-old Serena Caldwell staffers at Kids Unlimited of Prosperity daycare, turned themselves in after warrants were handed out for their arrest. Both workers are charged with
“contributing to the delinquency of a minor and unlawful conduct to a child.”
Jones faces
“14 counts of each charge, and Caldwell faces 15,”
reports say.
John David Dawkins, the Daycare owner, told a local news outlet that both workers were
“immediately terminated”
after staff reported the incident and security footage was reviewed.
The daycare promptly contacted the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
They also reached out to the Newberry County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Lee Foster confirmed that the daycare completely cooperated with their investigation.
During the investigation, deputies learned that the two teachers instructed children to physically attack each other. Foster revealed that the behavior
“started out with [Caldwell and Jones] saying the teacher had promoted other students or other clients of the daycare, to use violence to try to punish a child or make another child compliant.”
Foster described their behavior as abhorrent, questioning why anyone would engage in such actions.
Fourteen children, between the age of three and four years old, were involved in the incidents.
Luckily, no serious physical injuries were reported. However, one parent claimed that their child was instructed to attack another child and then told to repeat the action.
Foster emphasized that the two teachers were considered
“rogue employees,”
and the department does not believe the daycare itself was complicit in their behavior.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
