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32 | THIS IS AN AMENDED REPORT THAT SUPERSEDES THE PREVIOUS REPORT.
(9099-C Continued)
Pertaining to the allegation that, “Staff handled a day care child roughly,” the Reporting Party (RP) stated that Child 1 (C1) reported that a staff member assigned to Classroom 5 grabbed C1's arm roughly and took C1 to the bathroom adjacent to the classroom activity space.
LPA Gil interviewed the head teacher, six staff members assigned to Classroom 5, and five children enrolled in Classroom 5. During the staff interviews, Staff 5 (S5) disclosed that S5 witnessed an incident involving Staff 6 (S6) and C1. S5 stated that S6 pulled C1 into the bathroom to wash C1's hands. S5 stated that C1 was very verbal and appeared upset during the incident. S5 further stated that the incident was immediately reported to the Principal for further review.
On July 10, 2026, LPAs interviewed Principal Claudia Araujo. Principal Araujo stated that there were no previous incidents involving S6 documented in the facility's records. Principal Araujo explained that LAUSD documents reported incidents and conducts an internal investigation. Principal Araujo stated that both parents were notified of the incident by telephone. She further stated that LAUSD conducted an internal investigation and held a conference with S6 on May 29, 2026. Copies of the internal investigation and related documentation were provided to LPA Gil for review. On July 10, 2026, LPAs interviewed C1. C1 described the daily routine at school, identified the current teachers, and stated that S6 was C1's former teacher. C1 stated that C1 enjoyed being in S6's classroom with friends. When asked about the bathroom, C1 stated that the children washed their hands frequently. C1 denied that anything had occurred that made C1 feel sad, scared, or upset and stated that C1 felt happy.
The facility self-reported the incident to the Department within the required reporting timeframe.
Based on the information obtained during the investigation, including interviews with staff and enrolled children, observations, and review of facility and LAUSD documentation, there was conflicting information regarding the circumstances surrounding the interaction between S6 and C1. Although S5 reported observing S6 pull C1 into the bathroom to wash C1's hands, there was insufficient evidence to prove that S6 grabbed C1's arm roughly or handled C1 in an inappropriate manner.
Based on the evidence as documented above, the allegations have been determined to be Unsubstantiated. A finding that the complaint is unsubstantiated means that although the allegation may have happened or is valid, there is not a preponderance of the evidence to prove that the allegation occurred.
A Notice of Site Visit was provided and must remain posted for 30 days during the facility's hours of operation.
An exit interview was conducted, and the report was reviewed with Principal Claudia Araujo. |