The state and police are investigating a Pleasanton Christian preschool where one of its teachers is under fire for allegedly tying up a 2-year-old girl who refused to take a nap.
The investigation centers around a teacher at Centerpointe Christian preschool when at some point, a 2-year-old girl refused to nap. Parents are expected to hold a meeting on Tuesday, and police are also expected also to come forth with more details.
For punishment, the state is now looking at whether the teacher took masking tape and bound the toddler's her hands and feet. The woman who had taught here since the school opened in 2008 but left earlier this year, and took a picture of the girl bound sitting on a cot.
"We are shocked and appalled," school spokesman Tim Hunt told NBC Bay Area on Monday night.
"It's deplorable to us that any person including the children under our care would in any way do something something so terrible as this incident. Children are made in the image of god and made to be fully respected," added Mike Barris, pastor at Centerpointe Presbyterian Church in Pleasanton.
The incident went unreported until early March. That's when current and former school employees gathered for a luncheon and the former teacher shared this story.
She then shared the picture of the girl with her hands and feet bound. One of the people she showed the picture to was the mother of the little girl who teaches at Centerpointe Christian preschool. That mother went to Pleasanton police and to school officials.
The report from the state community care licensing department obtained by the Pleasanton Patch unequivocally states the allegation is substantiated. The report mandates that the school needs to make some changes including to notify all parents of the incident and to have a staff meeting to discuss discipline in this instance.
On Tuesday morning, the preschool and church released a three-page statement detailing past violations citing four prior Class-A violations.
They are:
- Oct. 12, 2012 Two violations in the same room during and unannounced annual site visit. Teacher left diluted bleach spray within reach of children and was briefly out of the room hanging art projects outside to dry. Response: Staff was retrained in procedures
- Jan. 24 Bleach and detergent was left on the floor in the laundry room. Also, on the same day, there was improper supervision in school-aged program when a 17- year-old was left in a supervisory role over children.
- March 7 Allegations that a former teacher taped a 2-year-old's wrists were substantiated by licensing. It is unknown when the violation took place. Centerpointe leadership learned of the incident on March 4.
