1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32 | Page 2
During the course of the investigation, LPA interviewed 10 staff members, including the director. LPA reviewed the timesheet for 01/16/2026 for 8 staff members. LPA reviewed the school roster (updated 01/2026). LPA contacted 12 parents/authorized representatives but only 4 responded. Children interviews were attempted but children did not qualify with the Ten Step Investigative Interview.
During the staff interviews, 7 out of 9 staff did not witness staff holding down a child.
S1 stated the following: On 01/16/2026, at 12:30 PM, C1 was still awake. At 1:30 PM, Staff 9 (S9) left the classroom for their break. S1 was alone for approximately 10 minutes with napping children and C1 who was awake. When Adult 1 (A1) arrived, S1 was rocking and patting C1 and saying “shhh.” S1 was not shaking C1. S1 was trying to rock and pat C1, on C1’s mat. C1 was screaming and A1 picked up C1. A1 was visibly disturbed. S1 and the director asked Parent 1 (P1) to pick up C1 by 12:00 PM due to C1 having difficulty with the facility nap time. P1 did not change the schedule to a 12:00 PM pick up and kept the schedule with a 3:00 PM pick up time.
The director stated the following: S1 was rocking C1 to sleep. C1 did not like it. It was not the Montessori way. Staff should help children go to sleep by sitting with children, playing music, and patting their back. Staff normally do not rock children. There are no cameras in the classrooms.
Staff 2 (S2) stated the following: S2 witnessed S1 pin down Child 2 (C2) on their mat at naptime, using S1’s arms for about 30 minutes. S2 said S1 will hold down C2 until C2 got tired. S1 was holding C2’s wrists and S1 was sitting to C2’s right side, C2 was laying on C2’s back. S1 used S1’s knees to pin down C2’s legs. S1’s face was approximately 15 inches away from C2’s face. S1 was saying things like, “lay down, it’s nap time, it’s time to sleep, you gotta stay here, and you have to sleep.” C2 was resisting and screamed “let me go, you are hurting me, and no.” S1 eased up a bit, after C2 said it was hurting. The interaction lasted about 30 minutes, including holding C2 by the wrists. This event occurred 09/2025, exact date unknown, within the first week of C2’s enrollment at the facility. S2 said S1 said C2 is only trying to manipulate and get C2’s way. S2 witnessed S1 take Child 10 (C10) by the arm and roughly pulled C10 by the arm while C10 was having a temper tantrum. S2 stated Staff 4 (S4) saw Staff 5 (S5) pinch Child 11 (C11). S2 has observed S1 patting children on the back. S1 has a heavy hand. On one occasion, S2 could hear S1 patting a child from approximately 2 yards away. S1 wraps children in a blanket, with their arms in. Children may get out of it, |