KinderCare Learning Center has notified parents it suspended a teacher but would not tell parents which teacher is suspected of injuring a child.
A KinderCare parent, who asked not to be identified because his child still attends the center, expressed concern about the secrecy.
The teacher, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, is 27-year-old Abby Weyhrich of Centennial.
Weyhrich faces a single count of misdemeanor child abuse for an alleged altercation with a 4-year-old girl at the KinderCare Learning Center at 16808 Village Center Drive.
According to police, Weyhrich left marks on the girl's arms on July 10.
Police said the center's director told them Weyhrich grabbed and held the girl's arms in self-defense.
Investigators took photos of the girl's injuries and issued a citation to Weyhrich, who did not respond to a request for comment.
Center director Laura Kasten declined to discuss the situation.
KinderCare spokesperson Beth Woodward called it an "isolated incident" and defended the decision not to identify the suspended teacher to concerned parents.
"In every situation, legally we still are required to protect that person's confidentiality and privacy rights," Woodward said. "In any investigation or allegation, we do not name teachers."
Woodward said KinderCare staffers are not trained in safe restraint methods and are not allowed to use such methods on children.
Weyhrich appeared in Douglas County Court Thursday and has a pre-trial conference scheduled for next month.
No comments:
Post a Comment