Five Day Care employees from Hamilton, Mississippi, America, were criminally charged with child abuse after a viral video from earlier this month, shows a daycare worker scaring children with a Halloween mask.
A Lil' Blessings Daycare employee in Hamilton is shown in a video dated October 4 wearing a mask as kids scream and shout in the distance.
The employee wearing the mask can also be seen yelling in front of a child in the footage. One can overhear the person under the mask telling the kids to "act well" and "clean up."
The owner of the daycare claimed that a similar incident was captured on camera in September, but she was unaware of it until this month's social media footage went viral.
According to Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook, "It seems to us that they were utilising the mask for behaviour management. Since they are unable to employ physical punishment, we believe they were trying to intimidate the children into doing what they were meant to be wearing the mask.
Parent Katelynn Johnson whose both children attend the centre has said that the children are traumatised "The Mississippi daycare workers who put on scary masks to frighten the children deserve harsh punishment for the pranks".
Katelyn Johnson herself assures that, although her son "is too young to communicate how he feels," he is notoriously "traumatized" by the attitude he has adopted.
The mother points out that her son "finds it difficult to go to bed at night" and it is causing a delay in his learning.
According to TMZ, parents have pushed for charges of child abuse against the daycare staff as a form of punishment.
The 4 women are facing 3 counts each of felony child abuse. Another daycare worker is facing 2 misdemeanour charges -- failure to report abuse and simple assault. All of the employees were fired by the daycare owner.
References:
Calls for jail time for Mississippi daycare workers who scared child with Halloween masks, Marca News
Day Care Workers Charger With Abuse For Scaring Kids With Halloween Masks, Ary News
Horror Mask Pranksters Charged With Multiple Felonies, TMZ News
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