Two Roswell pre-school teachers have been arrested after they were caught on surveillance camera footage abusing students.
The incident happened at Parker-Chase Preschool's Pre-Primary B classroom last week.
Caught on Camera
The footage obtained by WSBTV shows students, ages two and three, sitting on a rug. One teacher approaches one of the students and kneels. She puts her face close to the child as the second teacher walks up behind the children.
The second teacher steps on the child's hand which was behind the child, palm down on the floor, and keeps her foot pressed on the child's hand. Then that teacher steps to the next child and kicks the child in the back using her knee and shin.
The teacher who is at eye-level with the child points her index finger in their face and then pushes the child's forehead, causing their head to bobble, the video shows. The teacher, still kneeling, turns away from the children and walks on her knees out of camera range. Watch the video below:
Teachers Charged with Child Cruelty, Fired
Police arrested and charged Zeina Alostwani, 40, and Soriana Briceno, 19, with cruelty to children in the first degree. They appeared in court Tuesday. A judge Tuesday granted a $75,000 bond for Alostwani, but Briceno didn't get a bond based on her asylum and immigration status, WSBTV reported.
Endeavor Schools, the parent company of Parker-Chase, said in a written statement that the employees used "inappropriate disciplinary actions." Once the school learned of the actions, it removed the employees from the classroom and later fired them. The company reported the incident to its licensing agency and the state's Department of Child Protective Services.
"While we are extremely grateful that the children are well, we take this matter seriously, and our investigation is ongoing. We expect our staff to adhere to the highest standards of care, and any failure to do so will not be tolerated," Endeavor Schools stated.
Roswell police are reviewing video from the school to check for other possible instances of alleged abuse. A police spokesman said the department had no additional updates Tuesday afternoon.
