Maryland daycare faces backlash for strapping 2-and-a-half-year-old boy to chair
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GERMANTOWN, TENNESSEE: A Maryland daycare center came under fire after a video of a 2-and-a-half-year-old boy named Sean being tied to a chair was posted online. The video that has since been deleted showed Sean being restrained by a towel tied around his waist while seated at a table for a birthday celebration at Kids Villa Learning Center in Germantown.
Sean's grandmother, Ruby Campbell, reportedly expressed disbelief when she first viewed the video. She spoke with the two daycare employees who were there in the classroom when the incident occurred, and they informed her that they had tied up her grandson because he was unable to sit still. When Campbell showed the daycare director the footage, she said that she "couldn't believe what she was seeing too," according to FOX 5. Montgomery County police stated that they looked into the situation and determined that this was a poor staff choice rather than a crime.
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'I'm not going to say that he was acting unruly'
Campbell stated, "He was [in] no way acting any different from any normal 2-and-a-half-year-old would act. In the video, you could see there are other kids standing up. There are other kids moving around. So, I'm not going to say that he was acting unruly. I'm saying he's acting like a 2-and-a-half-year-old would act," according to FOX 5.
There are no provisions in Maryland state regulations that specifically address restraint in daycares and schools, according to Fox News. However, abuse, neglect, mental injury, and injury as treatment are all prohibited by state law. Additionally, the state law claims that discipline must be in accordance with the child's age, level of maturity, and physical health.
What consequences did the incident have?
The two teachers were consequently suspended, and Sean has already signed up at another daycare center. The daycare's director claimed that there is no restraining order policy because it is against the law to confine young children, according to FOX 5.
Police received a report from the Campbell family, but because the young boy suffered no bruises or other injuries from the towel, the incident is not being looked into as a crime. Additionally, they reported the situation to child protective services.