The Learning Lab (Justin Barnes).
An Illinois father posted surveillance footage he says shows a day care worker forcing his 4-year-old son into a garbage can.
Anna Petrou, 58, was arrested by the Homewood police on a single misdemeanor charge of endangering the life of a child. According to reports, she allegedly placed the same child in an alley for around 20 seconds in weather that was about 19 degrees. The officers stated that this action was taken as a form of punishment.
The incident, captured on film, depicts a child in a blue shirt playing around. A woman approaches him, takes him by the arm, and guides him to a wall, from where she proceeds to lift him and place him inside a white garbage can. The child remained inside for several minutes, mostly sitting. Eventually, the woman covers the container with what appears to be a blanket. She later removes the covering and allows the child to exit the garbage can.
The boy’s dad, Justin Barnes, wrote on Facebook that his son has “a medical condition that can be triggered by stress.”
Following an investigation, it was verified that a daycare worker had placed the child in a garbage can for almost four minutes and covered his head with a blanket simply because he did not want to take a nap. The child’s parent expressed concern over the incident, mentioning that while the worker claimed it was a joke, the video footage displayed the child in distress, resisting the humiliating treatment. This not only affected the child emotionally but also endangered the well-being of other children who witnessed the situation. Furthermore, it was troubling that another staff member was present and did not intervene.
The day care in question, The Learning Lab in the 18700 block of Dixie Highway, did not immediately respond to a Law&Crime’s request for comment.
More from Law&Crime: Day care workers gave kids ‘high’ doses of Benadryl and melatonin before nap time: Police
