When you’re a parent, it can be scary to witness your child shedding tears for an unknown reason.
If they’ve taken a knock or had a fall, then it can be explained. If they’ve been frightened by something obvious – the dark, a loud noise, for example – then it’s understood. But what about when they’re sent home from school early in floods of tears?
Obviously, your first instinct is to expect bullying. From another child, mind.
Which is why it was even more distressing for mom Kelicia, when her four-year-old, Kelon Johnson-Chaney, was sent home from school, having spent the last part of his day crying so hard he physically vomited.
Kelicia knew something wasn’t right – Kelon wasn’t sick. When she found out the truth of the matter, it was more than she could stomach.
When Kelon was sent home from school early, mom Kelicia became alarmed.
Little did she know that the reason behind his teacher electing to cut short his day would be a cause for anger. After Kelon spent the final part of his day crying to the point of throwing up, she knew she had to get to the bottom of things.
The four-year-old proceeded to tell her that he’d gotten into trouble for laughing in class. The usual disciplinary action from the school for such behaviour was a time-out – something Kelon’s teacher and teacher’s aid knew very well.
However, rather than follow the usual guidelines, the pair conjured a more creative punishment; one inspired by a book they happened to be reading in class.
The book was called The After-School Monster, and focuses on a little girl who comes home from school to find a giant monster in her closet. The only way for her to defeat him is through channeling her own courage.
Kelon described to his mom how he’d been left locked in a closet for his time-out. As if this wasn’t infuriating enough for his mom to hear, she then learned that the teacher had told him it was no ordinary closet.
Instead, Kelon’s teacher had explained there was a monster in there, referring to it simply as the ‘Monster Closet’. Kelon was suitably terrified by this, as were his classmates, some of whom also spent time in there.
When you consider that the children placed inside the ‘Monster Closet’ – all of whom were left in there for up to five minutes at a time – were between the ages of three and four, you being to understand how distasteful the act is.
Dr. Annette Cluff, the Superintendent at the school, said she was “appalled to find out” and that not being there to investigate the matter immediately made her even more angry.
Watch the whole report in the video below:
Both the teacher and the teacher’s aide were immediately suspended without pay, and rightly so!
No child should have to endure the psychological stress that Kelon and his classmates were put through as a result of their teacher’s actions. Share if you agree!
