A daycare teacher in Nashville, Georgia, has been arrested for alleged child abuse after videos of her assaulting children circulated online amongst parents.
Kalasha Johnson was fired from Joyful Noise Academy on Wednesday, May 6, after parents obtained multiple videos of her allegedly hitting young children, which she allegedly shared in a group chat with her friends.
After the videos were obtained, screen recorded by the parents and circulated online, police launched an investigation into the allegations and Johnson was arrested two days later on Friday, May 8. She has since been charged with four counts of cruelty to children in the first degree.
The Nashville Police Department said that there were four separate reports involving four victims, according to WALB. One victim was 3 years old, while the other three were 2 years old.
It is not currently clear if Johnson has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest.
“The safety and wellbeing of children in our community remains one of our highest priorities,” Nashville Chief of Police Ronald Knowles said in a statement following the arrest, per WALB. “We take allegations involving harm to children extremely seriously, and our officers worked diligently to ensure a through investigation was conducted.”
After Johnson’s job at Joyful Noise Academy was terminated, several parents whose children go to the daycare expressed their shock over the situation.
“I didn’t see the video, I asked her. Does anyone hit you at school? And she said my teacher. I said where does your teacher hit you? And she said right here…immediately my stomach starting hurting,” one parent recalled of a conversation they had with their child while speaking to WALB. “I made a post because something in my heart told me that that wasn’t the only kid.”
Perry McKinney, whose 2-and-a-half-year-old son was seen in the background of one of the videos, said he and his wife pulled their son from the daycare following the incident.
“If I had the choice to say yes, I would like Stetson to be in her class knowing her background … no, I wouldn’t have,” McKinney said. “I wouldn’t have put him in that daycare.”
Joyful Noise Academy did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case. However, the daycare is reportedly cooperating with Nashville Police as the investigation into the allegations against Johnson continue.
Johnson could potentially face additional charges if the investigation uncovers more information.
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