Forget about Somali daycare fraud for a moment - have you heard about toddler fight club? A daycare in Fort Worth, TX is facing investigations and litigation after evidence showed staff abusing young children and forcing them to fight each other.
One mother, Heather Harris, knew something was wrong when she picked up her 4-year-old son at the Arka Montessori Academy of Risinger daycare. He was crying uncontrollably and was covered in bruises. Employees told the mother her son had fought with another child, but their explanations did not add up, according to a lawsuit filed this month by Harris and her husband, Richard Harris. She insisted on seeing the classroom's surveillance footage.
The disturbing footage shows staff at the daycare swing a child around like a rag-doll and trying to force him to fight another child.
Heather and Richard Harris filed the lawsuit September 4th against Arka Risinger Educators LLC, which operates the Fort Worth child care center on West Risinger Road. The case was filed in Tarrant County's 48th District Court. The lawsuit accuses the center of negligence, gross negligence and failing to properly hire, train and supervise its employees.
The family is seeking more than $1 million in damages, and for a jury to determine the final amount. The family and their attorney have described the scene as resembling a “child fight club.” State regulators cited the center for related violations (improper discipline, prohibited punishments such as grabbing/pulling, yelling, and failure to intervene).
The incident is only one of many that the daycare has been investigated for by authorities.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission's Child Care Regulation Division investigated and cited Arka Montessori for 16 violations since 2024. Inspections found at least 21 safety deficiencies. Violations included improper discipline; prohibited punishments, grabbing and pulling; yelling at children, etc. The most recent investigation also uncovered employee accounts alleging Johnson had previously yelled at children or handled them aggressively.
It is curious, though, that the daycare is still running after these problems were uncovered by officials.
Parents being more involved in the vetting of staff at these facilities is an obvious issue - checking the company's citation records would be a good start. That said, child care programs have a tendency to limit the vetting of prospective employees in favor of filling positions quickly. HHS Child Maltreatment counted 2,341 victims of abuse by daycare providers in 2024 alone.
Be very careful who you leave in charge of your children... but if you do choose the Arka Montessori, here are some 'rules'
The Rules of Toddler Fight Club
The first rule of Toddler Fight Club: you do not tell Mommy about Toddler Fight Club.
The second rule of Toddler Fight Club: you DO NOT tell Mommy about Toddler Fight Club.
If someone cries, goes limp, or needs a diaper change, the fight is over.
Only two toddlers to a fight. Sharing is still not a thing.
One fight at a time, fellas. Then snack.
No shoes, no shirts. Honestly, we weren't wearing them anyway.
Fights go on as long as they have to, or until nap time, whichever comes first.
If this is your first day at daycare, you have to fight.
And remember:
"You are not your onesie. You are not the contents of your diaper bag. You are not your light-up sneakers."
"We're a generation raised by screens. We have no Great War, no Great Depression. Our great war is bedtime. Our great depression is that the banana broke in half."
And never forget:
"On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for every goldfish cracker drops to zero."
Sorry, we had to...