EXCLUSIVE: Daycare worker caught hitting young children with wiffle ball bat

Tuesday, October 11, 2016
EXCLUSIVE: Daycare workers caught hitting young children with wiffle ball bat
Carolina Leid has the exlusive from Flatbush.

FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Ariel McDonald and Jay-Lee Sotomayor's parents are having the conversation no mother or father wants to have.

A day care worker was caught on surveillance swinging, hitting and corralling children with a wiffle ball bat at Bethel Daycare in Flatbush, Brooklyn.

"Did my child get hit before? Is my child scared to tell me I got hit? Not only is my child being hit, she's scared," says Yadiry Rosa.

ER Doctors found Jay-Lee had bruises on her back, so Child Protective Services is looking into the allegations.

Claudia McDonald and her husband found out when they got a call from a NYPD detective.

"The first child that was hit was my daughter. My heart dropped to my stomach. I said 'where is the young lady?' She said she's already arrested," Claudia said.

Police arrested the daycare provider and charged her with endangering the welfare of a child.

Eyewitness News called and emailed to get a comment from the daycare in person, but so far there has been no response.

Attorney Jeffrey Guzman says his office has filed a lawsuit against the daycare to make sure all the video is saved.

"I think it's systemic there. You're seeing another teacher that's observing this and going about her day as if it's totally normal," he said.

If that is the case, parents believe the facility should be shut down.