ORANGE CITY, Fla. — We’re seeing the surveillance video that allegedly shows a Volusia County preschool teacher pulling a three-year-old girl by her hair. It’s this video evidence that landed that teacher in jail.
The incident happened back on June 27th at Emmaus Lutheran Church preschool. Channel 9 talked to the girl’s parents, who didn’t want to be identified, but say they’re still in shock.
The mother says she picked up her daughter one day and told her that her teacher had pulled her by the hair. She asked the school to look into it, and about an hour and a half later, the school called her, telling her it was true and caught on camera.
“I was shocked. I couldn’t believe this was happening to my daughter. Our daughter. I was shocked,” said the girl’s father.
Getting that phone call from the school about their daughter being hurt by her teacher is one the girl’s mom says she won’t forget.
“Just getting a phone call like that, yes, this teacher did abuse your daughter. She wasn’t telling a lie; she really did pull her hair,” said the mother.
The teacher facing charges, Orange City police say, is Zadya Bayala. In another video she’s seen pulling the girl by her arm. The parents say they want the teacher to be punished.
“We definitely want justice. There are consequences. She needs to be held for it. She definitely should never work with children again,” said the parents.
Police say Bayala was immediately removed from her position at the school when the abuse was reported. Channel 9 reached out to the school for comment, but they told us they were not releasing any statements.
Bayala is charged with child abuse without causing great bodily harm.
Her first court appearance is Friday morning.
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