A Florida day care, Building Brains Academy, faces scrutiny following an incident in which a 2-year-old Black girl was handcuffed and fingerprinted by a white child in a Rosa Parks arrest reenactment.
The NAACP has called on the state to investigate the matter, describing it as an "alarming act of simulation."
The child's parents, who learned of the incident through images on the school's app, expressed their shock to Fox 35, emphasizing they believe their daughter is the only Black child at the day care, the New York Post reported.
The parents disclosed that the images depicted their daughter with her hands restrained behind her back, giving the appearance of being taken into custody. The subsequent image showed her hands on a table, mimicking a booking procedure. Her parents were deeply disturbed by the ordeal.
The girl's father, recounting the distressing scene, emphasized the lasting impact on their daughter's face, prompting the immediate withdrawal of their child from the day care. The parents, while praising the teacher as a "sweetheart," blamed the curriculum for the distressing lesson on Parks.
The day care defended the incident, asserting that the shared photographs did not present a complete or accurate representation of the lesson on equal rights. In a statement, it said that a multicultural class was learning about Parks' legacy and "spontaneously decided to act out elements of her story, including her arrest."
The statement emphasized the day care's commitment to equality and diversity, expressing regret for "the assumption that our teachers, our leadership, or our administration would in any way choose to make a child feel uncomfortable or negatively singled out."
The day care went on to say it has "advised all of our faculty that any deviations from the approved curriculum, no matter how slight or unplanned, must first be approved by the school administration. We will continue ensuring our students are exposed to a curriculum that celebrates equality and diversity."
The parents urged a more thoughtful approach to teaching Parks' story, emphasizing the need for age-appropriate methods.
They reached out to the NAACP, which has called for an immediate cessation of such activities within the curriculum, vowing to explore legal avenues to prevent future occurrences.
The NAACP stated to the DailyMail.com that the occurrence was deemed "egregious," irrespective of the application of physical restraints.
"Under no circumstance is it acceptable for a 2-year-old child to endure emotional trauma inflicted by their educational institution," the organization stated.
"Regardless of the utilization of physical handcuffs, the Rosa Parks role-play incident at Building Brains Academy is considered egregious."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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