A daycare worker in Florida has been arrested after she allegedly hit five children with a metal stapler, and she even claimed that her “babies are gonna miss” her when she was fired.
Latasha Mullings has been charged with 11 counts of misdemeanor battery and one count of misdemeanor assault with intent to do violence, according to online records viewed by Us Weekly.
The investigation into Mullings, 41, began on May 27 when the director at Mustard Seed Kidz called police officers to report that a teacher was assaulting several students, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit viewed by Law & Crime.
After a parent accused Mullings of flicking a student in the face in the classroom, the director reviewed camera footage from the classroom between May 19 and May 26 and allegedly saw Mullings hitting five students on 11 different occasions.
The young victims were between the ages of 2 years old and 4 years old, and police said that they were in “visible pain” in the footage.
“The defendant could be seen flicking students in the face, striking students on the head with a metal stapler, and hitting students with unknown objects,” officials wrote in the affidavit.
Mullings was also accused of slapping one student three consecutive times with an open hand. She also allegedly threw a shoe at another student, grabbed the victim’s shirt when the shoe missed them and “yelled in the victim’s face.”
The school director confronted Mullings about the allegations and she was subsequently fired. Mullings then responded by saying “my babies are gonna miss me,” according to police.
Mullings was arrested on Friday, May 29, and was taken into custody at Brevard County Jail. Us can confirm that she has since been released after she posted a $37,000 bond. She is next scheduled to appear in court on June 23.
It is not currently clear if Mullings has entered a plea or retained legal counsel. The West Melbourne Police Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the case.
Following the incident, Mustard Seed Kidz released the following statement insisting that the “safety and well-being of every child in our care is our highest priority.”
“After receiving a parent complaint regarding alleged inappropriate conduct by a staff member, our administration immediately took action. The employee was removed from contact with children, and the matter was promptly reported by our school to law enforcement and the Florida Department of Children and Families,” the statement read, per WKMG.
After noting that they were “fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation and will continue to support the authorities as they conduct their work,” the daycare insisted that “the reported behavior does not reflect the values, standards, or expectations of our preschool.”
“We remain committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and secure environment for all children entrusted to our care,” the statement concluded.
