Local authorities investigating daycare incident caught on video

MGN

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) —  Authorities are investigating an incident at Primrose School of East Brainerd that occurred at the beginning of the year.

A video was shared showing the actions of a caregiver at the school on January 8, 2025.

On January 24, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services contact the Chattanooga Police Department (CPD) to file a police report regarding the incident.

According to CPD, their Special Victims Unit is currently conducting an investigation.

Preliminary information reveals that a child was attending the daycare, lying on a cot, and a caregiver patting the child on the back.

At some point in the video, the caregiver appears to push the child’s head down towards the cot.

The school released a statement regarding the incident, stating:

We are deeply saddened that this took place inside our school. This former teacher was in clear violation of our policies and our mission to provide children with a safe and nurturing environment.  

As standard procedure, we alerted state licensing, and the teacher is no longer employed at our school. We are cooperating with the state licensing board regarding their review of the incident. We are also taking this as an urgent opportunity to re-educate our entire staff on our high standards for health and safety and expectations for operational excellence.

There is no greater priority than ensuring the health, safety and security of every child entrusted to our care, and we take that responsibility seriously. We sincerely apologize to all those impacted.

– Priyank and Riya Bakani, Franchise Owners, Primrose School of East Brainerd

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Chattanooga Police, (423) 698-2525.