07-05-2025
Plymouth day care teacher's alleged excessive discipline caught on camera, charges say
A woman who was allegedly caught on camera forcefully grabbing, pushing and shouting at children at a Twin Cities day care now faces a gross misdemeanor charge.
The 21-year-old woman from Champlin, Minnesota, is charged with one count of malicious punishment of a child, according to court documents filed last week.
Police in Plymouth, Minnesota, first received a report about potential abuse at Lil' Explorers Childcare Center in February, from the father of a 3-year-old boy at the facility.
Another teacher told the father that the woman charged "picked up [the boy] by one arm and pushed him into a chair with force, before yelling in [his] face," the complaint states.
A teacher recorded video showing the alleged abuse, along with the woman "grabbing other children and yelling at them," according to the complaint.
In February, WCCO spoke with a teacher who recorded video of some of the woman's behavior, Za'Kiyah Thomas. She said she complained to day care management about the woman and reported her actions to the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
"It definitely was an uncomfortable situation, but yesterday I decided to take a step back so I could get it on camera because I knew it was going to be my last day and I couldn't just leave my kids there with her without me to protect them to make sure they were OK," Thomas said at the time.
When the video first surfaced, Cadence Education, the parent company of Lil' Explorers, gave WCCO the following statement: "We do not tolerate behavior of this kind, and the individuals involved are no longer employed with us. In addition, we have initiated an investigation into this issue and are fully cooperating with authorities."
The woman is not in custody.
To report concerns about child abuse, neglect or sexual abuse, the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families recommends contacting the county or Tribal Nation where the child lives. You can find a list of Minnesota's county and tribal child protection agencies by clicking here. If there is an immediate concern of harm to the child, the agency recommends calling 911.
Note: The video above originally aired Feb. 7, 2025.
