Teacher fired after being accused of writing on toddler’s stomach

Mother asked: 'Am I right to be furious about this? Or am I overreacting?'

A mother has expressed her outrage after picking up her son from daycare to find a message written on his stomach in marker.

According to Heather Chisum, from Sanibel Island, Florida, who shared her story on Facebook, her 18-month-old son Milo had permanent marker all over his torso that read: “Mom I’m out of diapers pls read my report”. Photos attached of Milo show writing scrawled across him, which can be easily read even after “scrubbing several times”.

In the post, which has since been shared more than 30,000 times, Chisum asked her followers whether she was “right to be furious” or whether she “overreacting”.

“I really need your opinions guys, because I’m about to barge in this daycare tomorrow morning and have some words,” the mum wrote, explaining that her son comes home with a daily report from the daycare each day, which informs parents what “mood he was in for the day, what times they changed his diapers, and if he needs diapers or wipes,” but that she had not read the report from the day prior about needing to purchase diapers.

“I guess yesterday they wrote on his report that he needs diapers, and I failed to see that,” she continued, before questioning why a teacher couldn’t have informed her in person instead of drawing on her son.

“Now keep in mind, I see several teachers at drop off and several at pick up, if I failed to see that he needs diapers a simple, ‘Hey Heather, your son needs diapers maybe you missed the report’ would have done the trick,” she wrote.

Chisum was not the only one that found an issue with the behaviour. In the comments, numerous people agreed with the mother, and said that they too would be “furious”.

“File a report! Totally not okay or appropriate,” one person wrote. “I am so mad for you! You are human with a lot on your plate. It’s easy to miss a couple things, there are many better ways to go about informing you.”

Another said: “Unreal. Who does that to a child?”

The Children’s Education Centre has since responded to the incident, and said that they have fired the teacher in question from the school. “We are reviewing protocols already in place to ensure that nothing like this occurs again” executive director Cindy Carter DeCosta told WBHH.

After the initial Facebook post on Monday, Chisum shared a follow-up message, saying: “I’m overwhelmed with the amount of attention this has received. People and news stations from all over the country reaching out to me to offer their condolences and support. I want to say I’m thankful for all of you.”