INDIANAPOLIS -- An employee at a south side day care has been placed on administrative leave following a Facebook video that surfaced Thursday that appears to show a day care worker pulling a child by the arm.
The viewer who posted the video Thursday said the facility is La Petite Academy, 4116 Kildeer Drive.
Call 6 Investigates reached out to Le Petite Academy, and a spokesperson said they have notified the Indiana Department of Child Services.
“We take our responsibility as caregivers very seriously,” said Lydia Cisaruk, director of communication for La Petite Academy. “We are partnering with the authorities and conducting our own investigation into what occurred, and will take all appropriate steps. The employee is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.”
The 3-year-old child, identified by his parents as Demonte, is expected to be okay. But he was taken to the hospital to be checked out.
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, the state agency that licenses child care facilities, said DCS notified them this afternoon.
“We will go out and investigate,” said Marni Lemons, FSSA spokesperson.
Indianapolis Metro Police has also been notified and they are looking into the matter as well.
Le Petite Academy operates several facilities in Central Indiana.
“We have strict policies and procedures to ensure we’re providing the highest level of care, and we don’t tolerate deviation from these standards. Nothing is more important to us than our children’s wellbeing,” said Cisaruk.
Kelsey Murphy, who has one child who attends the day care facility said that she is not worried for her child's safety after seeing the video.
"I can't make out what teacher that is, but when my daughter is here I don't feel like she's in danger. I'm a very very strict parent, so when I pick her up and she has a dirty face, I'm like - what happened?" said Murphy.
She said she has had instances in the past where she has had to report things about the day care, but they have always been taken care of immediately.
"I know it’s not their place because they’re not the parents and it is a day care. You have to go about it differently. I had an issue with how a lady was talking and took it to the director and she took care of it immediately," said Murphy.
La Petite issued the following statement on Thursday:
"We have conducted and continue to conduct staff training on our protocols. We will work closely with licensing to ensure we are in compliance with all state regulations. We remain committed to providing the highest level of care and quality service to our families."
