Teacher to 4-Year-Olds: 'You Are All Just Stupid Kids'

A mother concerned about her daughter's behavior secretly videotaped her class.

ByABC News via logo
February 27, 2008, 7:07 AM

Feb. 27, 2008 — -- A Houston mother, who said her daughter was well-behaved at home, was worried about what was going on in her child's classroom because the girl had been suspended four times for bad behavior.

So, Diana Mijares decided to secretly bug her daughter's backpack and was shocked to hear what was on the tape.

"It made us concerned," Mijares said on "Good Morning America" today. "It was enough and we needed answers."

Megan Mijares' digital tape recorded mostly mundane moments at Memorial Elementary School's prekindergarten class, but then it captured the teacher yelling at the group of 4- and 5-year-olds. All of it happened without Megan's or her teacher's knowledge.

"You're just a bad kid," the teacher says on the six-hour tape. "You're mean to me, so I get to be mean to you."

The teacher, who was not identified, continues to harshly scold the children.

"You are all just stupid kids. I swear to God," the teacher says. "You are just all stupid kids."

Mijares said at that point the teacher was responding to a boy who was moving slowly.

"I believe one of the students was taking a little bit longer to come into the classroom," Mijares said.

In response to the allegations, the Houston Independent School District is investigating the case and the school's principal has reassigned the teacher.

Mijares worries that action will not be enough.

"My fear is that if she's reassigned that maybe possibly this could happen to other children," said Mijares, who added she only was trying to protect the children.

"They are learning bad manners and they don't need this," Mijares said.

The teacher has a history of parental complaints. Another mother told ABC News Houston affiliate KTRK that the teacher yelled at her young son and then slapped his face in December.

Houston school officials confirmed a slapping allegation was reported to the principal. After an investigation, the principal found evidence the teacher slapped a student and she was disciplined.