Crime & Safety

Ex-Forest Hill Preschool Teacher Charged in Pushing, Gouging of 3-Year-Old

A teacher's assault was caught on surveillance video, according to charging documents.

A Belcamp woman is facing charges in connection with an assault on a 3-year-old at a Forest Hill daycare center.

Kaitlin Marie Krause, 24, of the 1400 block of Dalmation Place, has been charged with child abuse, second-degree assault and neglect of a minor.

Concerns from the child's parents prompted the investigation after their daughter came home with a mark on her face, according to Fox 45.

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Celebree Learning Center, in the 1500 block of Rock Spring Road, fired Krause and notified police after reviewing surveillance video that showed the teacher assaulting the child, WJZ reported.

Video from the day care showed Krause grabbing a 3-year-old child—who had been standing next to a small wooden chair—and pushing her into a seat, according to charging documents.

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Krause proceeded to grab the girl's face "with enough force to whip the child's head backwards," leaving a laceration on her cheek, charging documents said.

Then Krause, who had been in charge of the class that day, was shown pushing the girl from the chair onto the floor, according to charging documents, which said the chair was left overturned.

Krause told her supervisor on Dec. 30—the day of the occurrence—that she accidentally scratched a 3-year-old with her fingernail, according to charging documents.

The victim had three distinct gouges on her left cheek, and "no injury compatible with a scratch," according to charging documents.

When asked about the mark on her face by a Harford County Sheriff's Office detective, the child said: "Miss Kaitlin did it," according to charging documents.

Krause said that she was the only adult in the room but "does not recall any of the events described," charging documents state.

Celebree told WJZ that its day care centers "won't tolerate this type of behavior." The company, which has more than 20 locations in Maryland, reportedly said that it does extensive background checks.

The family of the child took her out of the day care center, according to ABC 2 News.

Krause was charged Jan. 6. She was released Jan. 7 on a $5,000 bond, according to reports.


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