A 4-year-old boy was threatened and improperly disciplined on several occasions between Aug. and Sept. 2022 by a worker at a private school in DeSoto, Texas. On one occasion, the worker smacked the little boy twice and yelled at him. A recording caught the worker saying, “You think I’m playing with you, say it again! And see what happens. Don’t sit up again!” Another day, the worker was heard saying, “And you better not move, and I ain’t giving you no covers for saying that too. Let your little butt freeze since she wanna be mean and talk like that, little heifer.” The worker continued threatening the boy a third time by saying, “You color that yellow and I’m going to punch you upside your head.”
The toddler’s mother contacted our knowledgeable and compassionate daycare injury lawyers to hold the DeSoto school accountable for her son’s trauma. Our legal team at The Button Law Firm secured a settlement to help the young boy and his family, ensuring they had the essential resources to support the toddler’s recovery from the trauma caused by the school’s negligence.
How the DeSoto School Broke Texas Childcare Laws
Texas daycare workers are held to strict laws, also known as minimum standards, which cover all aspects of childcare, including acceptable and prohibited discipline tactics.
Under the state’s laws, childcare workers are not allowed to threaten corporal punishment or use corporal punishment on children under their care. In this case, recordings that surfaced during an investigation conducted by the Department of Family and Protective Services captured sounds of the little boy being “smacked” more than once and the worker threatening to punch the toddler.
Secondly, daycare centers are not allowed to humiliate, ridicule, reject, or yell at the children in their care. It was clear from the recordings that caregivers at the school in DeSoto violated this law when they called our client’s son demeaning names and yelled at him on multiple occasions.
The incident involving the toddler in this case was not the first time that the school in DeSoto had problems regarding hiring and training qualified workers. Texas’ Department of Family and Protective Services previously cited the school for caregivers not completing required annual training, and the school placing caregivers in charge of children without a cleared background check.
Lastly, the DeSoto school ignored more childcare laws by not contacting the toddler’s mother or filing incident reports with the state of Texas each time the caregiver improperly disciplined the little boy. The boy’s mother had to report the incidents to local law enforcement and state agencies to shine a light on the school’s wrongdoings.
Moving Forward: How The Button Law Firm Helped This DeSoto Family
The 4-year-old boy in this case was mistreated on many levels by the adults who were supposed to follow the school’s motto of providing him with a strong educational foundation enriched with the values of citizenship, respect, and love.
The school in DeSoto did anything but this to the young boy. Instead, he developed behavioral changes that signify elevated trauma. The toddler’s frequent temper tantrums made it hard for him to get along with other children. He also developed a distrust of adult caregivers and would lash out at them.
The boy also regressed in his potty training. Prior to attending the school in DeSoto, he was able to use the bathroom properly. However, he wet himself at school and overnight following his mistreatment and traumatic incidents at the school.
Our North Texas daycare injury lawyers helped the little boy and his family move forward with a settlement agreement that held the school accountable for the boy’s traumatic experience. The settlement secured by lawyers at The Button Law Firm also covered resources to help the toddler heal from his long-term emotional and mental injuries.
Let The Button Law Firm Help Your Family After Childcare Workers Use Unapproved Discipline Tactics
If your child was harmed or injured by caregivers who used inappropriate or prohibited discipline tactics at a daycare center, contact our experienced and compassionate daycare injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm. With attorneys in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, we are ready to listen, fight for your family, and help your family move forward. Our attorneys at The Button Law Firm are recognized on the prestigious Texas Super Lawyers list, and we can help guide you after a traumatizing incident involving your child. We work on contingency, meaning we don’t charge you or collect any upfront fees to get started on your case. Get a free consultation by calling us at 214-699-4409, emailing us at [email protected], or filling out a contact form.
.png)
.png)
