Granada Hills preschool workers accused of abusing children, duct-taping student
The Granada Hills Montessori Preschool fired one of its teachers for allegedly duct-taping a student and physically abusing others.
"They witnessed one of their classmates being duct-taped for speaking too much," parent Melissa Gutierrez said. "Then also duct-taped to his cot to not get up for nap time."
Gutierrez and Cleve Mcwright said their 5-year-old twins told them on Sunday night that their teacher punished them if they did not remember their numbers or zip up their jackets. Mcwright said the teacher slapped and pulled his children's hair.
"We don't trust a soul near our children anymore," Gutierrez said. "It's heartbreaking."
These parents and others said they had no idea what was happening until Sunday when the administration sent them a letter. The school said it terminated the teacher in classroom A and two other co-teachers after learning about the allegations on July 3.
"We do not condone any form of abusive behavior and took immediate action upon learning of the allegations against her," the administration wrote.
In a statement, the preschool administration said they started investigating the teacher's "nontraditional steps in the classroom" immediately after hearing about the allegations on July 3.
"First and foremost, the Granada Hills Montessori Family wants to reiterate its commitment to providing children and families with the absolute best environment to learn, develop and grow. More so, it is of the utmost importance to provide every student with the combination of a healthy environment and a helpful, trained staff to bring out the very best in each of them," the administration wrote.
The school said they self-reported the results of their investigation to the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing. The Department of Social Services said it is investigating these claims. Their records show one complaint investigation for an injured child last November. However, they found it to be unsubstantiated.
"Every time I will mention daycare, you can see he's scared," a parent named Valentina said.
Valentina said she had to remove her 4-year-old son from the school two months ago for behavioral issues but now believes he was acting out in self-defense.
"One day, the teacher pulled his ear, and it was actually a little bit blue," she added. "They tied them up."
The school denounced any type of abusive or physical discipline "and regularly takes every step possible to avoid such behavior by its employees," the administration wrote in a statement.
"Infuriating that people are taking it upon themselves to punish our children," Gutierrez said.
The school said it will discuss the issue with the students affected during the alleged abuse and will offer counseling services to people who need it.
In the aftermath of the allegations, the school said it will create a system for staff, parents and students to report any misconduct or abuse anonymously. Additionally, every staff member must complete formal training on child abuse and how to prevent it. Each employee must undergo training every two years. The Department of Social Services will also provide more specialized training.
"We, along with the rest of our kind-hearted nurturing staff, are committed to making our children the priority and their safety the heart of everything we do," the administration wrote. "We are committed to maintaining a positive environment for all children under our care that families can be confident about and rely on."
The parents said they were planning to take legal action.
"As a parent, it was very, very difficult to realize your kid is a victim of abuse," Valentina said.
