Parents in Howard County, Indiana, are demanding answers after a kindergarten teacher at Taylor Elementary School was accused of taping students’ mouths shut during class.
The unnamed teacher, an employee of the Taylor School Corporation, has not been charged with a crime, but the allegations have left parents outraged and concerned.
Many parents first learned of the accusations online. Heaven Russell, whose child is in the class, said she asked her son about it after reading posts on social media.
“He said that she was acting like it was a game,” Russell recalled. “But when she would tear the tape off, the kids would cry.”
Russell’s son described the tape as the kind used for packing boxes, raising further concerns about the potential harm caused.
Both children said that while the teacher did not put tape on their mouths, they saw it happen to their classmates.
“I was crying on the way home yesterday after I found everything out, so I can’t imagine how [the alleged victims’ parents] are feeling,” Russell said. “You should never have to worry about your kid going to school and being exposed to any kind of child abuse.”
“I feel like they could have been notifying the parents immediately and I just don’t like that,” Russell said. “I feel like that’s sneaky, and you’re trying to hide things.”
Russell’s sister, Madelynn Wetzel, also has a child in the same class. Both mothers claim that school officials have not contacted them or other parents regarding the incident.
“It’s something that I kind of expected out of her, because she just doesn’t seem like she’s a good teacher at all,” Wetzel said.
The kindergarten teacher was absent in the days leading up to spring break, but it remains unclear whether this was due to the allegations.
As the investigation continues, frustrated parents are left waiting for answers, calling for greater transparency and accountability from school administrators.
