Northeast Elementary School

R 400.8140 · R 400.8140 Discipline. ................................................... ... ....... .......... .................. (2) All of the following means of punishment are prohibited: (a) Hitting, spanking, shaking, biting, pinching, or inflicting other forms of corporal punishment. C~

I interviewed center Administrator 1. Administrator 1 spoke with Child A's Mother, who relayed the following information. Child A has struggled with transitions, especially during pick up and drops offs since the beginning of the school year. The child care staff members (CCSMs) told Child A's Mother that Child A calms down within a few minutes of drop off and then he has a great day. Picking up from care has also started to go smoother. On 3/15/23, they were running late to the center. Child A was upset saying that he did not want to go to school. Child A's Mother directly asked him if he was being hurt by someone and he said yes. Upon direct questioning, Child A said that Ms. O'Harrow slapped him in the face. Child A also repeated the story to his father. Later that day, Child A's Mother spoke with Child A about telling the truth versus a lie. It was then that Child A's story changed dramatically. Child A began saying that he feared a ghost in the room, that there was "a big mean chair ghost," and the "big mean ghost" was Ms. O'Harrow. Child A then said that the ghost was not Ms. O'Harrow. Child A then changed his story again saying that no one hit him, that he is not afraid of ghosts, and that he wanted to go back to the center. Child A is now maintaining that nothing happened. Child A's Mother expressed to Administrator 1 that perhaps the way she questioned Child A is why he said "yes" to something occurring. As such, she was not sure if anything happened. Child A has not had any concerning marks or bruises. In addition, Child A's Mother also shared only positive things about CCSMs prior to this concern. Child A's Mother described the CCSMs as wonderful and said specifically that Ms. O'Harrow was very kind and nice. Administrator 1 stated that Child A's Mother was kind, pleasant, and apologetic about what Child A reported. Although Child A's Mother is not certain if anything happened, she still wanted the situation investigated. Administrator 1 stated that she assured Child A's Mother that there was no reason to apologize, and that their goal is also about child safety. According to Administrator 1, there have been no prior concerns regarding Ms. O'Harrow care or treatment of the children. Ms. O'Harrow, Child Care Staff Member 1 (CCSM 1) and Child Care Staff Member 2 (CCSM 2) are the main child care staff members in the room. Child A continues to attend the center. I interviewed Child A's Mother. She stated that Child A has attended the center since the fall of 2022 with no previous concerns or child disclosures. Child A has not had any marks or bruises. She has not had any "red flags" during drop off or pick up time, and that all her interactions with Ms. O'Harrow and the other CCSMs have been positive. Child A's Mother is not sure if anything happened to Child A. She 3 stated that Child A normally does not tell stories, but this story has changed a lot. Child A has struggled with going to the center and sometimes says that he hates it. Drop off continues to be difficult as he gets upset about her leaving. Getting picked up has started to improve, as he used to get upset about leaving the center at the end of the day too. Child A's Mother stated that on 3/15/23, she and Child A were running late in the morning. While she was getting gasoline for her vehicle, she heard a woodpecker. Child A's Mother told Child A that when he gets to school, he could tell them about the bird, as she was trying to help him look forward to going. Child A said that he was scared to go. He initially did not report why he was scared. She then asked "why, hurting you?", referring to the CCSMs. Child A said "yes." She asked how they were hurting him, he said that he was hit in the face. When she asked by who, he identified Ms. O'Harrow by her first name. She asked Child A when this happened, and he did not answer. Child A's Mother later talked with Child A about the importance of telling the truth. It was then that Child A's statement changed seve

View state record