On February 6, a chilling moment was caught on camera at Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center in Plymouth, Minnesota.
A daycare worker was filmed in a troubling display of anger, slamming a toddler into a chair while screaming at the helpless child.
The video, shared online, shows a disturbing scene of a teacher aggressively berating and physically handling two- and three-year-olds in the classroom.
Caught on Camera by Fellow Staff Member
Yanni Thomas, a teaching assistant in the room at the time, recorded the troubling incident and posted the footage on Facebook, shedding light on what was happening behind closed doors.
In the video, a female teacher, dressed in a bright pink sweatshirt, is seen manhandling children, yelling at them, and even throwing toys at them in frustration.
At one point, the teacher grabs a toddler boy, forces him into a chair, and screams, “I did not tell you to get up!”
Teacher Fired and Resigned in Protest
After witnessing the disturbing behavior, Thomas decided to resign from the daycare center, citing a deep moral conflict with the way the children were being treated.
In her post, she explained her decision, saying she could no longer be part of an environment that subjected children to such emotional and physical abuse.
Thomas shared her concerns about the head teacher’s mental stability and the harmful effects of her actions on the children.
She also revealed that she had reported the incident to child protective services and expressed her belief that the daycare center should be shut down.
Mother of Affected Child Speaks Out
Stephanie Studer, a mother of one of the children in the classroom, expressed her shock and distress after learning about the incident.
Her three-year-old daughter, who was present during the altercation, has shown signs of behavioral changes, such as mimicking the angry actions she witnessed. “It makes me sick to my stomach,” Studer said.
“I’m still shaking.” The emotional toll of the incident has left the mother questioning how the daycare could have allowed such behavior to go unchecked.
Investigation and Employee Terminations Follow
Following the release of the footage, the Plymouth Police Department confirmed they had launched an investigation into the incident.
Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center wasted no time in terminating the involved employees.
Although the identities of the teacher and other staff members have not been released, the daycare center made it clear that their actions were unacceptable.
A spokesperson for the center stated that the safety and well-being of the children were the highest priority and that they were fully cooperating with authorities.
Previous Investigations and Ongoing Concerns
This is not the first time Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center has faced scrutiny.
In 2024, the daycare was investigated three times, including two incidents involving how children were treated.
These previous investigations raise questions about the facility’s ability to maintain a safe environment for the children under its care.
Support for Yanni Thomas
The brave actions of Yanni Thomas, who risked her job to expose the abuse, have been praised by many, including Stephanie Studer.
In recognition of Thomas’s efforts to protect the children, Studer started a GoFundMe campaign to help Thomas realize her dream of opening her own daycare focused on kindness and safety.
“Yanni is the hero in our children’s story,” Studer wrote, “and now we have the chance to change hers.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, the campaign had raised over $3,100 to support Thomas’s future endeavors.
This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!
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