A mother is demanding justice after a security video captured a daycare employee picking up her 4-year-old son by his ankles.
BrieAnn Battle says she is hopeful that the incident will result in Kinder Kids Christian Preschool having its license revoked.
“He was being assaulted,” Battle told KTLA’s Sandra Mitchell. “And his mother was nowhere around.”
Video of the incident shows the employee grabbing Battle’s son by his arms and lifting him off the ground. The child resists and the daycare worker continues to twist the 4-year-old around.
After a brief struggle, Battle’s son is seen lying on his back while the employee kneels over him and holds him by his arms.
The boy then kicks his legs out at the daycare worker, who grabs the child by his ankles. Battle’s son is being held upside down by the employee before he appears to be placed down on a table.
“She snatches him up for by both shoulders,” Battle said. “She could have torn his rotator cuffs and then proceeded to hold him vertically for like 10 seconds. Puts his head on the table. Puts her body weight on him. She’s twisting his arms.”
Battle took pictures of her son’s bruises and has filed a child abuse report with the Los Angeles Police Department after the incident at the Mid-Wilshire preschool.
The mother is in disbelief at what occurred at the daycare.
“He was fighting for his life,” Battle says. “At that point, you have somebody holding you upside down, restraining you. She was telling him she’s going to teach him a lesson.”
Battle has not taken her son back to the preschool and hopes to warn the parents of other children who attend the daycare.
She adds that she will continue to fight for justice for her son.
“I’m going to fight for my baby,” Battle said. “[The daycare worker] will be brought to justice, I’m going to see to that.”
Kinder Kids Christian Preschool has not yet commented on the video or the allegations.