Chickens or Children

The children are finally laying down and I can begin to process some information that I received this morning that is really disturbing me. The NWA Times reported this morning about a classroom in Fayetteville , AR basically having a cock fight every day - only instead of chickens they used children. Can you even believe that? This is what the article said.

FAYETTEVILLE : 2 accused of setting up church day-care fights

BY MICHELLE BRADFORD

Posted on Tuesday, August 26, 2008

URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/235429/

FAYETTEVILLE — Two teachers lost their jobs at the Central United Methodist Church day care after state and local officials started investigating reports that preschoolers were being made to fight.

Fayetteville police Sgt. John Warren said the investigation was launched Thursday after a parent reported teachers forcing 3- and 4-year-old students to fight during “circle time.”

The kids had to fight while the rest of the class watched, and the teachers told them not to tell their parents, Warren said.

“Some parents said their children were bruised during the fights, and we’re in the process of setting up interviews with at least some of the 18 kids [in the class ]” he said. “It’s going to take a while to sort it all out.”

The teachers could face charges of endangering the welfare of minors if the allegations are true, Warren said.

Officials declined to release the teachers’ names.

Julie Munsell, spokesman for the state Department of Human Services, said the fighting is said to have involved punching, kicking and pushing as part of “a game,” and that the department is investigating under terms of the church’s child-care license.

“The [church ] has already taken corrective action by terminating the teachers, but we’ll need to determine whether management knew about the alleged activity or whether it was isolated to the staff,” Munsell said.

Church administrator Brian Swain said the two teachers were “no longer employed” as of Friday and that the church is reaching out to families to help in any way it can.

“We’re communicating with parents and trying very hard to earn their trust back,” Swain said. “No one wants to sweep anything under the rug, for sure. We feel like we’ve resolved the main problem, but we’ll continue to reach out to parents and provide them any help or counseling or whatever they need.”

He said church officials don’t know why the teachers, who worked with students who attended the center every day, may have acted the way they did.

“That’s the big question,” he said. “The kids told one story, while the teachers told another, but ultimately the investigation will have to determine that.”

The church’s day-care center has been in operation for 30 years, he said. Last week, the center moved to a new facility next to the church, but the investigation put a blemish on the move, he said.

The church in looking at other measures, such as more training for teachers and installing cameras in the classrooms.

Munsell said if the teachers want to work in child care in Arkansas again, they’ll have to comply with corrective action decided on by the Human Services Department.

Two teachers lost their jobs? Seriously? Don't we put people in jail for cock fights? And.. these two teachers lost their job? Perhaps we should put them in a ring and let them fight it out. I am sure all the parents would gather around to watch and cheer them on.

How does a person / teacher decide , I think we will let the children fight until someone cries?

The grandson of a friend of mine went to this classroom. She is a childcare professional and talked to him this morning. I thought her question was head on and the little boys answer makes me sad.

.....my grandson told me all about it and about how he always won. I asked him if it made him sad when the other child cried and he said Ms. ____ told him it was okay that's how you play the game. Dhs interviewed the class individually and they all told the same story.....

So sad. I dont even know how to address this. SURELY things like this dont happen often. Then we wonder why parents dont trust...