DOTHAN, Ala. – An Alabama day care employee was charged with multiple counts of child abuse after allegedly using force to make children behave, authorities said.
Candelin Hyde, 36, was charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse, news outlets reported. She was jailed with bail set at $360,000.
Hyde worked at a child care business and was in charge of a classroom of fewer than 10 children, said Lt. Scott Owens, a spokesman for the Dothan Police Department.
“When children would act out or wouldn’t comply with what she wanted them to do, she would apply pressure to the neck and shoulder area, basically pressure points, to make them comply and listen,” Owens said. “It was to the point where several kids went home with bruising and parents brought it to the attention of the day care.”
Authorities didn’t identify the facility where Hyde worked, and court records were not available Friday to show whether she had a lawyer who could speak on her behalf.
The incidents occurred from August until this month, police said.
