Daycare Worker Fires Shoe at 5-Year-Old with Special Needs | California Abuse
- February 6, 2026 – A daycare worker in Inglewood, California, has been fired after video footage surfaced showing her throwing a shoe at a 5-year-old girl with special...
- The footage, obtained by KTLA, depicts the worker removing a shoe and throwing it across a classroom, striking the child.
- According to reports, two other daycare workers were present during the incident.
Daycare Worker Fired After Throwing Shoe at 5-Year-Old with Special Needs
– A daycare worker in Inglewood, California, has been fired after video footage surfaced showing her throwing a shoe at a 5-year-old girl with special needs. The incident, which occurred on , was captured on camera and has sparked outrage and calls for criminal charges.
The footage, obtained by KTLA, depicts the worker removing a shoe and throwing it across a classroom, striking the child. The girl is heard crying immediately after being hit.
According to reports, two other daycare workers were present during the incident. Disturbingly, one of those workers appeared to be laughing, as seen in the video.
The incident took place at Destiny Development Center. Michelae Jones, the girl’s mother, expressed her shock and anger, stating she had entrusted the daycare with her daughter’s care for three years and believed her child was safe.
“I’ve been with these people for three years,” Jones told KTLA. “I really thought my baby was safe.”
Jones stated that her daughter informed her about the incident immediately after it happened, prompting her to confront the daycare center’s director, Danielle Williams.
Williams initially told Jones that the employee who threw the shoe did not intend to harm the child, claiming the worker was “throwing shoes into another room that weren’t supposed to be there and [the child] accidentally got hit in the ear with the shoe,” according to KTLA.
Following an internal investigation, Williams terminated the employment of the worker who threw the shoe. She also fired the two other employees who witnessed the incident for failing to report it.
Jones is now seeking criminal charges against the former employee, specifically child abuse and assault charges. She feels the daycare’s response, while resulting in termination, doesn’t adequately address the severity of the situation.
Williams defended the daycare center, stating, “My school — what we stand for — it’s not child abuse. We don’t hire child abusers,” per KTLA.
The incident has prompted a wider conversation about the safety and well-being of children in daycare facilities, and the responsibility of staff to report any instances of abuse or misconduct. Authorities have not yet commented on whether criminal charges will be filed.
News of the incident has spread rapidly, with reports appearing in multiple news outlets including WJAR, People.com, TheGrio, and ABC7 Los Angeles.