Former Plymouth day care teacher charged; 16 families hire law firm to investigate
Former Plymouth teacher charged, families hire lawyer
A total of 16 families have hired the same law firm to investigate incidents of a former teacher yelling at and pushing children at Lil' Explorers Child Care Center. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has the full story.
PLYMOUTH, Minn. (FOX 9) - The former Plymouth day care teacher, who prosecutors said was caught on video screaming at children and pushing one of them into a table, is facing a criminal charge.
Fired Plymouth day care teacher faces misdemeanor charge
Big picture view:
Katie Voigt, the former Plymouth day care teacher who prosecutors said was caught on video yelling at children and grabbing some of them, faces a charge of malicious punishment of a child.
The charge, a gross misdemeanor, carries a punishment of up to a year in jail.
In court filings, prosecutors said employees recalled other incidents involving Voigt, 31, of Champlin, including hearing her yelling at children.
The allegations
Plymouth daycare abuse allegations surface
A daycare in Plymouth, Minnesota, is under investigation after videos have surfaced showing a teacher yelling at and grabbing children.
What was said on the videos:
In the videos, the teacher, who prosecutors have identified as Voigt, lashes out at children, sometimes using profanity. "Get up! Put the toy away now!" she screamed. "I don’t care! Sit down! No! You are not listening! You’re taking a break! Don’t look at her like she’s going to help you!"
The backstory:
Multiple videos made the rounds on social media in early February that showed a woman screaming at toddlers at Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center in Plymouth.
In one of the videos, the woman grabbed a 3-year-old boy, forcefully putting him in a chair before shoving the chair into a table.
The videos were secretly recorded by Yanni Thomas, a teaching assistant who said she was concerned about what she had witnessed in the classroom on multiple occasions.
The day care fired Voigt within hours of the videos surfacing online, saying "we do not tolerate behavior of this kind."
16 families hire law firm, launch investigation
What they're saying:
Sixteen families have hired Robins Kaplan law firm to investigate what happened at the day care.
Raoul Shah, one of two attorneys representing the families, said in a phone interview on Wednesday that the families have not filed a lawsuit, and it is unclear whether they will take legal action.
He said his firm was retained to investigate the incidents at the day care but did not elaborate on the scope of that probe.
The other side:
Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Voigt could not be reached for comment.
What's next:
Voigt will receive a summons to appear in court. If convicted, she faces up to a year in jail or up to a $3,000 fine, or both.