Photo: Getty Images
An Illinois family is outraged after a daycare employee put their four-year-old son in a garbage can after he refused to take a nap.
The incident was caught on surveillance footage on January 13 at the Learning Lab in Homewood, Illinois.
The video, obtained by ABC 7, shows a daycare employee dragging four-year-old Grayson toward a trash can and placing him inside of it. Other children at the daycare appeared to watch the incident unfold.
Grayson's mother, Monica Forte, said she had "no words" after seeing the surveillance footage.
“My first thing was, of course I’m crying,” Forte said. "And I immediately went to the police station.”
Grayson's father, Justin Barnes, said police told them that there was nothing they could do because the four-year-old didn't sustain any physical injuries. The daycare reportedly fired the employee who put Grayson in the trash can along with another worker who "failed to intervene."
The Learning Lab addressed the incident in a statement.
"We tried to work cooperatively and transparently with the family. We are working with our licensing agency, DCFS, and the Homewood police. We have shared additional information we became aware of yesterday because we believe it warranted further investigation and possible action against the person who did this.”
Forte said the family is considering a civil lawsuit against the daycare and is searching for a new place to take care of their sons.
"If you work with kids, I mean, you have to learn,” Forte told ABC 7. “They should know how to deescalate these certain situations when they don't want to take a nap.”
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.
