FORT WORTH, Texas – Two Fort Worth parents have taken legal action against a local daycare after what they describe as a disturbing episode in which a teacher allegedly encouraged a physical altercation between four‑year‑old children. Heather and Richard Harris filed a complaint on Sept. 4 in Tarrant County’s 48th District Court, seeking over $1 million in damages from Arka Risinger Educators LLC, the operator of Arka Montessori Academy of Risinger on West Risinger Road.
Allegations from the lawsuit
The Harris family says their son, identified in court documents only by the initials U.H., was moved to a different classroom when his regular teacher left for the day. Surveillance footage obtained by The Dallas Morning News appears to show a teacher grabbing, shaking and dragging the boy while another staff member watched without intervening.
According to the 20‑page petition, the teacher first pulled the child’s arm, shook him and shoved him away after another child pushed U.H. in the chest. The video then shows the teacher pulling the children toward each other and urging the aggressor to hit and kick the younger boy. At one point the teacher is seen holding the child’s wrist and pulling a leg out from under him, sending the youngster onto a hardwood floor.
Impact on the child and family
The filing states that U.H. suffered bruises, scratches, pain and post‑traumatic headaches. Since the incident, the parents say their son has become anxious, fearful of being left alone, and distressed by loud noises and raised voices. The family ultimately removed him from the daycare.
“Our son was a happy, outgoing little boy,” the Harrises wrote in a statement. “We trusted Arka Montessori of Risinger to keep our son safe, but they failed us in every way.”
State investigation findings
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Child Care Regulation Division investigated the center and cited it for four violations directly related to the incident: improper discipline, prohibited punishments such as grabbing and pulling, yelling at a child, and a caregiver’s failure to demonstrate good judgment by not intervening.
The investigation also uncovered prior employee accounts alleging that a staff member named Johnson had previously yelled at children or handled them aggressively. An administrator noted that Johnson’s yelling had been addressed “a couple of times”.
In addition to the recent violations, the petition lists 16 earlier citations issued to the facility since it received its permit in January 2024. Those citations involved supervision failures, lapses in required training, and deficiencies in CPR, first‑aid certifications and safety records.
Legal response and community concerns
Attorney Russell Button, representing the Harrises, said the lawsuit is intended to hold the center accountable and to warn other childcare providers against ignoring employee concerns. “A daycare classroom should never become a child fight club,” Button said.
Daycare representatives have not responded to requests for comment, and the center’s legal counsel has not yet filed an answer to the complaint.
What this means for Fort Worth families
Parents in the Fort Worth area are reminded to closely monitor the supervision practices at early‑childhood facilities and to request documentation of staff training, disciplinary policies and any prior citations. The Harris lawsuit underscores the importance of vigilant parental involvement and the need for childcare providers to uphold the highest standards of safety and care for our youngest citizens.
For families seeking alternatives, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission maintains a public database of licensed child‑care providers, including any recent violations or enforcement actions.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
