A Virginia mom says she feels betrayed after discovering photos of her 2-year-old son taken at daycare and posted online with comments that appear to make fun of the child.
“I was hurt because I trusted them with Ethan," Melissa Jordan of Newport News told NBC affiliate WAVY.com. The toddler has delayed speech development, she added.
"I was disgusted, and my feelings were hurt because they are making fun of Ethan because he isn't able to talk. They are making a joke out of him.”
Two workers have been fired after photos of children were allegedly taken at A Heavenly Haven Learning Center 2 in Newport News and posted on Instagram, WAVY.com reported.
One of the photos shows Ethan sitting in a highchair, looking sad. The picture was accompanied with the caption, “I’m sick of this [expletive] !!!”
"I don't know how long he's been in the highchair. He looks so pathetic and miserable. He looks so defeated in that picture," Jordan told WAVY.com. "I pay them to humiliate my child?"
Another photo shows a second child juxtaposed with the image from a character from “Cars,” with the poster apparently comparing their teeth and smiles.
In a statement to the station, A Heavenly Haven said it was sorry for the incident.
“We would also like to take this time to publicly apologize to Ms. Jordan and her family. A Heavenly Haven's position on the actions of the employees involved zero tolerance, and the employee's [sic] have been terminated,” the statement reads.
“This incident, caused by an employee, does not reflect who we are as a childcare provider nor will it deter us from providing a safe and nurturing environment for our children.”
The daycare's manager and another employee have been let go, and Virginia's Department of Social Services is investigating, WAVY.com reported.