Mum claims teacher hit five-year-old daughter with ruler


The mother of a five-year-old girl claims her daughter was hit with a ruler by her kindergarten teacher, leaving her with a bruise around her eye.

In January, 23-year-old mother Ciara Morgan, from Memphis, Tennessee in the US, picked her daughter, Hailey, up from Cummings Elementary School after receiving a phone call saying the child was “having an allergic reaction”.

But when Ms Morgan arrived at the school Hailey told her mother that was not what had happened.

“Hailey said her teacher had hit her with a ruler and told her not to tell anyone,” Ms Morgan said.

“She said that her teacher said she will bring her a ‘LOL Doll’ if she doesn’t tell anyone what happened.”

The mother of a five-year-old girl says that her daughter was hit with a ruler by her kindergarten teacher, leaving her with a bruise around her eye. Source: Yahoo Lifestyle
The mother of a five-year-old girl says that her daughter was hit with a ruler by her kindergarten teacher, leaving her with a bruise around her eye. Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Hailey told her mother the incident was sparked when she told on another student for being on a computer after the teacher had told students to stop using them.

“She said the teacher reached into her desk, pulled out a ruler, walked over to her and told her, ‘No tattletaling’, and popped her,” Morgan told FOX13 Memphis.

The school had not verified any of the claims and had not given Ms Morgan any information about the teacher’s status until her daughter returned home from school last Thursday to say her teacher was back after being temporarily removed.

“Since the incident, the only thing the school has done was remove the teacher. Two weeks later they brought her back and removed my daughter from her class,” Ms Morgan said.

It’s alleged the teacher struck five-year-old Hailey after she told on another student for using a computer. Source: File/Getty
It’s alleged the teacher struck five-year-old Hailey after she told on another student for using a computer. Source: File/Getty

I was upset. No one contacted me about my daughter being removed from the class or contacted me about them bringing that teacher back to the school.”

Representatives from Shelby County Schools, who runs Cummings Elementary School, have yet to respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment.

However, the district confirmed to FOX 13 Memphis on Monday it “can confirm this employee was removed from the school and received disciplinary consequences in accordance with board policy.”

Meanwhile, Ms Morgan has enrolled her daughter in a different school.

“My daughter has been withdrawn from that school,” Ms Morgan said.

“And I want everyone who was involved in this incident to be held accountable for their actions.”

The Tennessee Department of Education is responsible for investigating the allegations, according to FOX 13 Memphis.

Do you have a story tip? Email: y7newsroom@yahoo7.com.au.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7’s daily newsletter. Sign up here.