A New Jersey mother has come forward with shocking allegations against a teacher’s aide, claiming that her 5-year-old daughter’s hair was forcibly pulled out after she reportedly refused to go into timeout.
Aaquilah Perez, the concerned mother, is speaking out to prevent similar incidents from occurring to other children.
According to official documents, Perez’s daughter returned home from P.S. 26 in Jersey City on March 15 with a noticeable bald spot, allegedly caused by a teacher’s aide who yanked out one of her braids.
Perez, who had cornrowed her daughter Zuwena’s hair all the way to the nape of her neck, was horrified to discover the damage done. Zuwena, a Pre-K student with special needs and ADHD, was said to have refused to go into timeout, prompting the alleged assault.
Following the traumatic incident, Perez has kept Zuwena out of school and has even quit her job to care for her daughter. Expressing her frustration with the school’s response, Perez emphasized the need for the matter to be taken seriously to prevent similar occurrences.
“I think they really have to take this matter seriously because I don’t want anybody else’s kids to get hurt or I don’t want any other parents have to experience what I just experienced like three weeks ago,” Perez stated. “It’s a terrible feeling to send your child to a place where they’re supposed to be safe and for them to come home with their hair pulled down and sad seeing that their teacher hurt them, it’s really heartbreaking.”
Local authorities are currently investigating the incident, while attempts to reach out to the school for comment have been unsuccessful.
