Ohio Daycare Workers Caught on Camera Standing By While Child Was Bullied

daycare workers stood by and did nothing while other children bullied fellow student

A pair of daycare workers in Ohio have been arrested on child endangerment charges after police said they failed to intervene while a 5-year-old girl was being subjected to "extreme bullying" that was caught on the daycare's camera last month.

According to a release from the Columbus Police Department, Emma Dietrich, 31, and Joshua Tennant, 27, who work as child care workers at the Worthington Learning Center in Columbus, Ohio, did nothing as several older students were "grabbing, pulling, dragging, swinging, and just "bullying" the victim." At one point, the 5-year-old appeared so frightened, she closed her eyes and attempted to "curl up in a fetal position."

Detectives say the video recorded on August 13, showed the victim at one point trying to get away from her tormentors, but the students continued to torture the child by grabbing at her and holding her down. As this is going on, the Dietrich and Tennant can be seen sitting in their chairs, watching the bullying by other students, not doing anything to stop their actions.

In a screenshot of the video released by police, Tennant can be seen picking the victim up by her right ankle, and then grabbing her left leg, as he carried her upside down to a nearby rug.

Ohio Daycare Workers Caught on Camera Standing By While Child Was Bullied

The incident came to light after one of the students told their mother about the brutal incident, who then called police. The day care's owner, Lisa Rowe told WBNS that she fired both workers the moment she found out about the video. The center has been cooperating with the investigation, police said in the statement.

Dietrich and Tennant were arrested on this week on charges of child endangerment. Dietrich pleaded not guilty on Wednesday and was released on bail until her next court appearance on Oct. 16.

Tennant is scheduled for arraignment on Monday.

Photos: Columbus Division of Police


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