A Connecticut day care teacher is in hot water after being arrested on charges that she hurled a 2-year-old child into a wall, causing injury. The incident, which was caught on surveillance footage, occurred earlier this year at the Town & Country Early Learning Center in Middletown.
Authorities were tipped off to the alleged assault on January 12, and after reviewing the video, Middletown police charged Kristie Kovarcik, 47, of Haddam, with risk of injury to a minor and reckless endangerment. The footage reportedly showed Kovarcik "picked up the minor child and tossed the child to the side," in a move that resulted in the child's head striking a nearby wall. This led to a minor contusion above the child's right eye, as explained by the Middletown Police Department in a statement obtained by Boston.com.
The day care did not turn a blind eye to the incident. After the facility's director heard the commotion and viewed the surveillance footage, she witnessed Kovarcik’s violent act. According to the director's account to police, she "saw Kovarcik toss the child aside and heard the child's head hit the wall," as per details released by law enforcement and reported by The Courant. The director immediately intervened, removing the child from the room and subsequently reporting the incident to both the parents and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.
Kovarcik surrendered to the police on February 26 and was released on a written promise to appear in court. Her arraignment was scheduled for March 11 at the Middletown Court. After the incident came to light, the Town & Country facility terminated Kovarcik from her position, the learning center reported. It remains unclear what provoked the teacher's actions or what repercussions will follow pending the judicial process.
