Recently, video footage of daycare workers scaring children in their facility went viral on social media. The clips were recorded at Lil' Blessings Child Care and Learning Center located in Hamilton, Mississippi.
The footage showed women wearing Halloween masks while simultaneously screaming at the kids. They could be heard saying things like, "Are you being bad? Do I need to take you outside?" and "We are supposed to be cleaning up, monster."
After the videos gained traction on the internet, parents of the children and viewers grew outraged by the teachers' behaviors and wanted them to be punished.
Kevin Crook, Monroe County Sheriff, issued a statement that revealed the women's fate. According to Crook, four of the five women were each charged with three counts of felony child abuse. The fifth woman was hit the two misdemeanors-- failure to report abuse by a mandatory reporter and simple assault against a minor.
When speaking about why he believed the women committed their actions, Crook stated, "They can’t use corporal punishment, so we think they were using the mask to try to scare the kids into doing what they were supposed to be doing."
The women facing felony charges were hit with bonds between $15,000 and $20,000 each. In contrast, the woman with two misdemeanors was not required to post bond.
"It’s just a shame it happened, and this is where we’re at. Hopefully, people will learn from it... Everybody who was a part of it knew each other in some shape or form. It’s a lot of emotions to deal with, and our job is to cut through those emotions, find the facts and present those facts," stated Crook.
As of now, the investigation is still ongoing, and it has not been revealed if the women involved have taken on legal representation.
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