Report: Boy Forced To Wear Skirt As Punishment
Teacher Allegedly Confesses To Putting Dress On Student
POSTED: Friday, February 27,
UPDATED: 10:52 pm EST February 28,
2004
A Central Florida preschool faces allegations of punishing children in an unusual and potentially traumatic way after a teacher's reported confession of putting a boy in a girl's dress, according to a Local 6 News report.
The family of a 5-year-old boy who was reportedly put in a yellow dress because he was talking too much said Friday that they plan to file a lawsuit against the Merriday Montessori School."It was a form of punishment, because he would not listen, they put him in a dress," the boy's grandmother Brenda Bradley said. "A yellow dress, and had my other grandson and the rest of the class laughing at him."The details Bradley told Local 6 News about were confirmed in a 43-page Department of Children & Families report obtained by Local 6 News. In the report, the teacher admitted that she put a dress on the boy because, she stated, he was "being unruly."
Local 6 News obtained a copy of the taped interview between the DCF case worker and the 5-year-old child describing the incident:Child: "When I was watching TV, I was talking too much and Miss Valerie put the dress on me." DCF worker: "What color was the dress?"Child: "Yellow."DCF worker: "With flowers?"Child: "Um hum. -- they laughed at me with the dress."DCF worker: "Who?"Child: "Everyone."
The child's mother, Tiffany Fairlamb, told Local 6 News that the teacher said her son would not listen so she had to put him in a dress, according to the report.Local 6 News has learned that the case may not have been an isolated incident, according to reporter Wendy Saltzman.Saltzman said that another child told his mother that a different boy at the school had been punished in the exact same way."I think this is a practice that happened more than once, by more than one teacher to more than one student," Fairlamb said.
Local 6 News reported that Merriday Motessori School stonewalled repeated requests for an interview and refused to acknowledge the unsettling allegations.Local 6 News reported that DCF closed their case without any action, because, they said there was a low level of risk since the family has already removed their two kids from the school.However, Local 6 News will investigate whether DCF did their job in Friday night's 11 p.m. show and speak to another parent.Watch Local 6 News for more on this developing story.
The family of a 5-year-old boy who was reportedly put in a yellow dress because he was talking too much said Friday that they plan to file a lawsuit against the Merriday Montessori School."It was a form of punishment, because he would not listen, they put him in a dress," the boy's grandmother Brenda Bradley said. "A yellow dress, and had my other grandson and the rest of the class laughing at him."The details Bradley told Local 6 News about were confirmed in a 43-page Department of Children & Families report obtained by Local 6 News. In the report, the teacher admitted that she put a dress on the boy because, she stated, he was "being unruly."Local 6 News obtained a copy of the taped interview between the DCF case worker and the 5-year-old child describing the incident:Child: "When I was watching TV, I was talking too much and Miss Valerie put the dress on me." DCF worker: "What color was the dress?"Child: "Yellow."DCF worker: "With flowers?"Child: "Um hum. -- they laughed at me with the dress."DCF worker: "Who?"Child: "Everyone."The child's mother, Tiffany Fairlamb, told Local 6 News that the teacher said her son would not listen so she had to put him in a dress, according to the report.Local 6 News has learned that the case may not have been an isolated incident, according to reporter Wendy Saltzman.Saltzman said that another child told his mother that a different boy at the school had been punished in the exact same way."I think this is a practice that happened more than once, by more than one teacher to more than one student," Fairlamb said.
Local 6 News reported that Merriday Motessori School stonewalled repeated requests for an interview and refused to acknowledge the unsettling allegations.Local 6 News reported that DCF closed their case without any action, because, they said there was a low level of risk since the family has already removed their two kids from the school.However, Local 6 News will investigate whether DCF did their job in Friday night's 11 p.m. show and speak to another parent.Watch Local 6 News for more on this developing story.
Copyright 2004 by Local6.com.
All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten
or redistributed.
Authorities release a chilling 911 call from a 19-year-old woman who hid in the back bedroom of a Central Florida home while four men attempted to break into the house.
An ex-wife of the man who found the remains of Caylee Anthony says that she thought her ex-husband was responsible for or involved in the girl's death.
A missing 5-year-old Central Florida boy is found safe in a heavily-wooded area following a six-hour search, according to authorities.
A man walking with a friend was hit by a van and killed while walking in Central Florida, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
A man who passed a note announcing a robbery to a teller at a Central Florida credit union turned around and walked away empty-handed, deputies say.
It really works! An Iowa man makes a Halloween costume that switches from robot to truck in seconds.
Royal Caribbean has given the Associated Press an inside look at the world's largest cruise ship, "Oasis of the Seas." The ship features 16 decks and cost $1.5 billion. (Nov. 20)
A woman tired of hearing her son say he lost another sock has come up with an idea to prevent it from happening again.
Underwater robotic gliders are helping scientists understand why massive oceanic expanses are losing virtually all of their marine life every summer.
It's something for everyone: A slideshow of wild stories where you have the choice of watching the video clip at your workstation -- or not! 
Thirty Victoria's Secret supermodels take over New York's Times Square this week.
Heidi Klum and her post-baby body led the parade at the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show, which returned to New York with some fresh faces after four years on the road.
Email Alerts
RSS News Feeds
Mobile
Live Streams
Slideshows
Video
Search
