A teacher aide in Texas has been arrested after she allegedly told a preschool student she was “ugly as hell” before she grabbed her by the feet and swung her around upside down.
The alleged incident took place at Marshall Early Childhood Center in Marshall, Texas, when Rachel Ann Kirspel was reportedly seen insulting the young girl. Kirspel, 37, allegedly yanked her into the air as she screamed and the girl hit her head in the process, according to an affidavit viewed by KLTV.
“You are ugly as hell!” Kirspel allegedly told the girl, who was about 3 or 4 years old. “You can tell your mama didn’t raise you right.”
One coworker witnessed the incident and yelled at Kirspel to put the young girl down and instructed her to leave the room. School officials were then informed about the incident.
The student spoke to Head Start Family Services about what happened and claimed Kirspel yanked a nap mat from underneath her, flipped her over and grabbed her by collar, per the outlet. Kirspel then allegedly pulled the child up by her feet and hurt her head in the process. The student added that the incident made her scared to return to school.
“My daughter was picked up by her feet and dropped on her head,” the child’s mother, Wayana Darty Williams, wrote on Facebook after the incident, according to the Marshall News Messenger. “As a parent, there is no pain or anger greater than knowing your child was harmed by someone who was supposed to protect and care for them.”
When asked about the incident, Kirspel claimed the child was being uncooperative and was playing during nap time. She then admitted that she grabbed the girl off the mat and put her over her shoulder. Kirspel said the girl still didn’t cooperate, so she held her upside down and the girl started crying.
Kirspel was arrested on Monday, May 18, and was charged with injury to a child.
It is not currently clear if she has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the incident.
Following her arrest, Marshall Independent School District Superintendent Richele Langley issued a statement about the situation.
“Marshall ISD is aware of misinformation circulating surrounding the recent arrest of an Educational Aide. Upon notice of the incident, Marshall ISD first ensured the student’s wellbeing and safety,” Langley said, per KLTV. “The aide was immediately removed without the ability to return, was investigated, and terminated. The MISD Police Dept. has investigated the incident and has referred it to additional law enforcement.”
Langley added that the school district “followed all protocol in referring this incident to CPS and TEA. We are extremely disappointed by allegations on social media that MISD has done anything other than what is right and legal but we are proud of the swift, student-focused, and decisive response of our staff.”
“Employee actions like those alleged will not be tolerated,” the statement concluded. “MISD remains committed to providing a safe and caring learning environment for our students.”
