Lil' Explorers Childcare Center fires teacher after 'unthinkable' videos surface

PLYMOUTH, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Plymouth daycare teacher and others were fired after a series of "unthinkable" videos surfaced on social media, showing her screaming at and grabbing children as young as 2 and 3 years old.

The backstory:

A former assistant teacher secretly recorded several videos on Thursday, showing a teacher at Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center in Plymouth yelling at several children and forcefully handling them. In one video, she picks up a child and slams him down onto a chair before aggressively pushing the chair into a desk.

In one video, the teacher yells, "I don’t care! Sit down! You are not listening! You’re taking a break! Don’t look at her like she’s going to help you!"

Yanni Thomas, of Maple Grove, who recorded the videos on Thursday, quit the same day.

Plymouth police confirmed on Friday that they had launched an investigation into the incident.

The day care teacher could not be reached for comment.

What they're saying:

Thomas and other parents expressed shock over what they saw.

"I honestly think it should be shut down," said Thomas. "She might throw a toy or slam something down and use words such as, ‘I can’t handle this. I’m so done. I need a break before I do something I regret.’"

"Sick to my stomach. Like, I just – I’m still shaking," said Stephanie Studer, of Crystal, whose 3-year-old daughter was in the classroom on Thursday.

She said she later realized she missed a troubling sign that something was wrong. She said her daughter started acting out using her toys.

"Why is she playing with her stuffed animals or her Barbies and screaming at them?" she asked.

Daycare says it fired several employees, launched investigation

In a statement on Friday, Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center said: 

"The safety and well-being of all of the children in our care is our top priority. We are aware of the recent incident involving several former employees and are taking this matter very seriously.

"We do not tolerate behavior of this kind, and the individuals involved are no longer employed with us. In addition, we have initiated an investigation into this issue and are fully cooperating with authorities. We are also providing proper notifications to our local licensing.

"All of our employees have passed mandated state background checks. In addition, we train our employees extensively on maintaining safety and their reporting obligations.  We encourage and require employees to report concerns to management directly so that they can be immediately addressed. We also regularly remind them of their obligations as mandated reporters. Finally, we train employees on how to handle difficult situations in classrooms, including asking for help, offering help when it is needed, and immediately notifying management of classroom concerns.

"We remain committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and nurturing environment for the children and families we serve. And we are thankful to our families for the privilege of caring for their children."

Daycare was investigated, cited over child discipline

Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center’s Plymouth location was investigated and cited three times in 2024, including twice for the way it disciplined children, according to records from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

What's next:

Both Plymouth police and Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center said Friday that they had launched investigations into the incident.