Teacher removes kid's tatto with Magic Eraser and GermX

[louisa05]

Please note that this did not happen at a school. It was at a daycare center. "Teacher" at daycare does not necessarily mean a college educated certified professional. I worked at centers in the summers during college. Most full time year round employees only had high school diplomas and a few did not even have that. Only the directors and head teachers had credentials.

[GodsKnickers]

This is slightly more than a daycare though - it's a daycare/school for kids with disabilities - the children receive speech, occupational and physical therapy there, so one would hope the staff that delivers these services are credentialed. I can't imagine they aren't going through some sort of licensing procedure each year. Even when I worked regular daycare eons ago, we had inspections/investigations regularly, by the governing body in our province.

[Wolfie]

I'm wondering why no one at the school questioned the kid's face. Another teacher, the office staff, the bus driver, every adult at the school is a mandated reporter. A child that young with that kind of wound on his face, the school should have acted to find out how he came to have it before they ever sent him home (in case he got it at home).

This is why flags are going up for me. (And the fact that I have seen parents lie to the media like this.)

Not to mention that Germ X alone with a paper towel would have gotten it off.

ETA- Germ X is an alcohol based hand sanitizer. In my district most of the schools hand it out to teachers during flu/cold season. There is a bottle of it on my desk right now.

[louisa05]

This is slightly more than a daycare though - it's a daycare/school for kids with disabilities - the children receive speech, occupational and physical therapy there, so one would hope the staff that delivers these services are credentialed. I can't imagine they aren't going through some sort of licensing procedure each year. Even when I worked regular daycare eons ago, we had inspections/investigations regularly, by the governing body in our province.

And our hillbilly neighbor across the street who parks on her lawn and ties her screen door open to let bugs and dust in the house is a "teacher" at a special needs preschool. She is not certified, but only three people on a staff of nine are. The others are all officially "paraprofessionals" but typically do most of the hands on work with the kids. The teachers plan and carry out lessons; the paraprofessionals deal with eating, cleaning, toileting, etc... I know this first hand from being a substitute teacher there on more than one occasion. I was literally only there to be the certified person in the room to meet state licensing requirements.

I would just encourage everyone to not judge all teachers by the actions of one person who may not even be a licensed teacher.

[Wolfie]

And also remember that we don't know if the school was even at fault. All we know is what the mother is saying, we don't know if she has a grudge against the school and wanted to hurt them or wanted to sue, or just cover her ass because CPS was watching. We don't know if it happened at home, or if a teacher or aide did it. We know nothing. All we know is that something happened and the mom ran to the press so that she could get her story out there first, and try to get public opinion on her side.

[Rachel333]

My mom made me use a Magic Eraser to get off something I'd drawn on the back of my hand once, not realizing what it would do to my skin. Considering I can't even use band-aids without breaking out in a rash, we both should have known better. My hand recovered, but it was pretty bad for a while.

The idea of a Magic Eraser and GermX really has me cringing. That poor boy.

[Mela99]

Unbelievable.

I wonder how many other kids she tormented. The article says this little boy has trouble speaking. Who knows if any of the other kids could articulate anything happening to them.

[Wolfie]

Unbelievable.

I wonder how many other kids she tormented. The article says this little boy has trouble speaking. Who knows if any of the other kids could articulate anything happening to them.

Which is why I wonder if he was able to be that specific in stating what happened.

Germ-x and a magic eraser are very specific for a 4 year old, especially one with delays.

[Guest]

The first thing I thought is that this could be a simple mistake. I didn't know what a magic eraser was or what it could do until I read the article, and the teacher may not have either. But not realizing it afterward when he had a gash on his face and was in a lot of pain? Not even sending him to the school nurse, let alone the hospital? This isn't sheer stupidity. There is either some malice on the part of the teacher or something wrong with the story.

[happy atheist]

Which is why I wonder if he was able to be that specific in stating what happened.

Germ-x and a magic eraser are very specific for a 4 year old, especially one with delays.

The boy didn't tell her. The school did. From the article:

After getting in touch with a teacher, Amanda said she couldn't believe what they told her.

"That they had taken Germ-X and a magic eraser and gotten it off his face with a magic eraser." A magic eraser sponge that is used as a household cleaning pad.

[Mama Mia]

And also remember that we don't know if the school was even at fault. All we know is what the mother is saying, we don't know if she has a grudge against the school and wanted to hurt them or wanted to sue, or just cover her ass because CPS was watching. We don't know if it happened at home, or if a teacher or aide did it. We know nothing. All we know is that something happened and the mom ran to the press so that she could get her story out there first, and try to get public opinion on her side.

You know, there is a big difference between saying "all teachers are bad" and saying "this particular teacher completely fucked up and should be fired"

Teachers can be wonderful - but sometimes they can be just plain awful. A particular job isn't a protection against being evil, or an idiot, or both.

Even if she had started out just being ignorant of how powerful a magic eraser is , surely rubbing Germ-X which is basically just rubbing alcohol , into the open wound she created should have been a clue that this poor little boy was suffering !

[Wolfie]

You know, there is a big difference between saying "all teachers are bad" and saying "this particular teacher completely fucked up and should be fired"

Teachers can be wonderful - but sometimes they can be just plain awful. A particular job isn't a protection against being evil, or an idiot, or both.

Even if she had started out just being ignorant of how powerful a magic eraser is , surely rubbing Germ-X which is basically just rubbing alcohol , into the open wound she created should have been a clue that this poor little boy was suffering !

Did you read what I wrote- only one person blamed all teachers that I read in this thread... What I wrote here is that we don't know the whole story. We don't know if the mom is trying to pull something on the school, we don't know if the teacher really did this. You can't make a judgement on a story like this without knowing both sides and more. (does the teacher have other strikes against her, does the mom have a history of lawsuits or with CPS?) We need more info before we just go out and judge.

[Wolfie]

The boy didn't tell her. The school did. From the article:

Okay, I missed that in the article, the thing about reading on a phone during your short breaks. I still find this story off somehow. Who calls it "Germ-X" and not "Hand Sanitizer." As I mentioned before, some of my schools pass it out, but it's always refered to as "Hand Sanitizer."

[jeansonly]

Something kind of similar happened to my husband when he was a child. He's part Native American and his hands are darker around the knuckles etc. So they kind of look dirty but they are not. One of his elementary school teachers told him to go to the bathroom and wash his hands as they were dirty. He did and came back and she told him he hadn't done a good job and to do it again. He did and came back and of course they were clean but did not appear so to her. So she took him, got some Ajax from a custodian and a scrub brush and scrubbed his hands with them. And they didn't get any cleaner. Boy was his mom PISSED when he got home and told her. Yes, she ripped the teacher and principal a new one. My MIL had some issues and was a character to say the least but you didn't mess with her kids! She was the only one allowed to do that lol.

[NurseNell]

The day care staff person had no business removing it. I also don't understand the parents taking him to the emergency room, the abrasion was not an emergency. The staff person (it's day care, I don't think the person was a licensed teacher) should be reprimanded, a note put in her file, and hopefully the next time a kid has a temporary tattoo on it will be ignored.

[Koala]

The day care staff person had no business removing it. I also don't understand the parents taking him to the emergency room, the abrasion was not an emergency. The staff person (it's day care, I don't think the person was a licensed teacher) should be reprimanded, a note put in her file, and hopefully the next time a kid has a temporary tattoo on it will be ignored.

I totally understand the parents taking him to the ER and the teacher's ass should be fired. If she doesn't have any better sense than this, she has no business working with special needs children (or any others for that matter).

[Mommy22alyns]

Thing is, there's no reason it had to happen in the first place. It's a temporary tattoo. It causes no harm to anyone. And if it truly was such a horrible problem, why was there no call to the parents? The tattoo could have stayed, and a call or note home to the parents would have constituted sufficient action on the part of the school. That teacher committed assault, in my opinion, and I hope the parents seek a charge against the 'teacher' regarding such.

At the very least, the school should be covering any medical bills that arise out of this. On top of that, I'd like to see that 'teacher' get the heave ho but I doubt that will happen.

No kidding.

My thoughts exactly. He's a little kid, and kids love temp tattoos. They think they're the bomb. Big fat hairy deal, let him have it! SMH.

[Coconut Flan]

Daycare centers fire workers who mix up bottles in the infant room even if no one is physically harmed so actually causing harm to the child should be a firable offense in my opinion.

[Wolfie]

My thoughts exactly. He's a little kid, and kids love temp tattoos. They think they're the bomb. Big fat hairy deal, let him have it! SMH.

I have seen students with sensory issue start picking at temporary tattoos after they have been there for a while. They can pick so much that they make themselves bleed. I've also seen autistic students who loved it at first, but then freak out. Keep in mind that these aren't "normal" children and we don't know what was going on. Yes it could have been something very stupid, but there could have been more to the situation than any of us know.

[Syd+Marky]

The day care staff person had no business removing it. I also don't understand the parents taking him to the emergency room, the abrasion was not an emergency. The staff person (it's day care, I don't think the person was a licensed teacher) should be reprimanded, a note put in her file, and hopefully the next time a kid has a temporary tattoo on it will be ignored.

I dont get taking the kid to an ER, either.It makes more sense to make a same-day appt. with the family Dr. so the parents can have medical documentation of the incident, as well as have the child's wound looked at.

The teacher(or whatever) should NOT have removed the tattoo in the first place.It wasn't her business.I would be absolutely irate if someone did this to my child!

[Mama Mia]

I dont get taking the kid to an ER, either.It makes more sense to make a same-day appt. with the family Dr. so the parents can have medical documentation of the incident, as well as have the child's wound looked at.

The teacher(or whatever) should NOT have removed the tattoo in the first place.It wasn't her business.I would be absolutely irate if someone did this to my child!

If they were picking the kid up after daycare the doctors office was probably closed.

[NurseNell]

If they were picking the kid up after daycare the doctors office was probably closed.

It's not a medical emergency. Health care costs in this country would be reduced significantly if emergency rooms weren't overflowing with non emergencies.

[moonbeam59]

It's not a medical emergency. Health care costs in this country would be reduced significantly if emergency rooms weren't overflowing with non emergencies.

Poor kid, I'm sure it's sore, but I agree. ER for a dime-sized rash? Really? Keep it clean and covered, and see the doctor in the morning.

[alba]

The boy didn't tell her. The school did. From the article:

I find this quote kind of strange. One of the other teachers knew what had happened, and didn't intervene or take the kid to the school nurse?