Rule 591-1-1-.11(2) requires that personnel shall not: physically or sexually abuse a child or engage or permit others to engage in sexually overt conduct in the presence of any child enrolled in the center; inflict corporal/physical punishment upon a child; shake, jerk, pinch or handle a child roughly; verbally abuse or humiliate a child which includes, but is not limited to, the use of threats, profanity or belittling remarks about a child or his family; isolate a child in a dark room, closet or unsupervised area; use mechanical or physical restraints or devices to discipline children; use medication to discipline or control children's behavior without written medical authorization issued by a licensed professional and given with the parent's written consent; restrict unreasonably a child from going to the bathroom; punish toileting accidents; force-feed a child or withhold feeding a child regularly scheduled meals and/or snacks; force or withhold naps; allow children to discipline or humiliate other children; or confine a child for disciplinary purposes to a swing, highchair, infant carrier, walker or jump seat.

During an investigation, it was determined that on January 29, 2026, inappropriate discipline was used when a staff member forcefully handled a 4-year-old child and held the child on their cot when they refused to lie down for nap. After the staff member told the child to lie down on their cot several times and the child repeatedly refused, the staff member pushed the child onto the cot as the child kicked, screamed, and stated that they wanted their mother. During evening bathtime, the parent noticed a scratch on the back of the child’s left shoulder and asked the child about it. The child stated that they had been slammed onto their cot. The parent notified a center administrator, who confirmed through video evidence that the child was roughly handled and forced to nap.