Texas Daycare Accused Of Running ‘Child Fight Club’; Parents Sue For $1 Million

New Delhi: Parents of a four-year-old boy in Fort Worth, Texas, have filed a lawsuit against a daycare, alleging that a substitute teacher encouraged her own son to fight their child and physically handled the boy during the confrontation.

Heather and Richard Harris filed the lawsuit on September 4 against Arka Risinger Educators LLC, which operates Arka Montessori Academy of Risinger. The lawsuit stems from an alleged incident on April 27, when their son, identified as U.H. in court documents, was in a combined afternoon classroom after his regular teacher left.

According to the complaint, U.H. was initially involved in a fight with another child after the boy allegedly struck him on the back. The children stopped fighting, but the lawsuit claims the situation escalated after Chynia Johnson, a substitute teacher and the mother of the other child, entered the classroom.

Surveillance footage cited in the lawsuit allegedly shows Johnson grabbing and shaking U.H. before dragging him toward her son. The complaint further alleges that Johnson encouraged her son to hit and kick U.H. while holding the four-year-old by the wrist. She allegedly pulled his leg from underneath him, causing him to fall onto the classroom floor.

The lawsuit claims another teacher was present when parts of the incident occurred but did not intervene. The family's attorney, Russell Button, described the incident as resembling a "child fight club", alleging that the boy was treated like a "human rag doll".

The boy's mother said she became concerned when she arrived to pick him up and found him crying. She then asked to see the daycare's surveillance footage. According to the lawsuit, U.H. suffered bruises and scratches, as well as headaches, following the incident. His parents also allege that he subsequently experienced anxiety and emotional distress and stopped attending the daycare.

The case has also prompted scrutiny from Texas childcare regulators. According to state findings cited in reports, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's Child-Care Licensing Division cited Arka Montessori for violations involving prohibited disciplinary methods, including grabbing, pulling and yelling, as well as failing to ensure that a caregiver protected a child under her supervision.

The lawsuit further alleges that the April incident was not an isolated safety concern at the facility. Reports citing state records say the daycare had accumulated multiple safety violations since opening in 2024, including citations related to the April incident.

The Harris family is seeking more than $1 million in damages, along with exemplary damages, alleging negligence, gross negligence and premises liability. The parents are also seeking accountability for what they say happened to their son while he was under the daycare's care.

The allegations are contained in a civil lawsuit and have not been finally established by a court. Arka Montessori's response to requests for comment was not immediately available in the reports reviewed.

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