Merritt Island daycare employee accused of kicking, slapping ‘disruptive’ child

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — An employee at a daycare in Merritt Island was charged with child abuse after a confrontation with one of the kids, according to a report from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

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According to the report, 20-year-old Laura Carmichael called the victim’s mother to pick the child up from Tick Tock Kids Academy on Crockett Blvd. Friday after the child had been placed on “timeout” twice for being “disruptive.”

The report says the child claimed Carmichael had kicked, slapped and flipped them off for “being bad.”

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Deputies say the mother called the sheriff’s office after the daycare’s staff couldn’t provide surveillance video of the incident.

The responding deputies spoke to the victim who described being placed in timeout for “being bad.” The child said they were allowed out of time-out and continued “making a mess and kicking a wall.”

That’s when the victim said Carmichael kicked their foot as she escorted them back to the timeout area.

Deputies say the victim claimed Carmichael got “frustrated” because the child would not sit in the timeout chair and slapped the back of their head with an open palm.

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The report says Carmichael would then “flip off” the victim before returning to the classroom.

During her own interview with deputies, Carmichael said the child was being disruptive and had been told multiple times to behave and listen. However, the child would continue to “misbehave.”

Carmichael admitted she “grew frustrated” with the victim, but claimed she only used her foot to “guide” the victim to the second timeout.

According to the sheriff’s office, Carmichael said she grabbed the victim by the arm and admitted to “intentionally and knowingly” striking the victim in the back of the head with an open hand.

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Deputies then arrested Carmichael and charged her with one count of child abuse without great bodily harm, a third-degree felony.

She has since been released on a $5,000 bond.

According to the sheriff’s office, the victim declined any medical attention.

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