Cell phone video shows Fla. daycare worker hitting child

The video was captured by a daycare employee, who said she was uncomfortable with the director’s behavior.

Kimberly Reid, 41, was captured on cell phone video hitting a 4-year-old boy several times and lifting him up and then dropping him. In the video from the Children’s Palace Learning Center, the little boy appeared to be resting when Reid is lifting and dropping him.

Clermont is about 20 miles west of Orlando. Police got wind of the incident after another daycare worker notified Florida’s Department of Children and families. The department’s investigators then called police. Reid defended her actions, telling officers she was only playing with the child, but investigators aren’t buying her account.

“The report says she was basically rough playing, but once you view the video, it’s very disturbing. It does not appear that’s the case at all,” said Officer Erin Razo with Clermont police.

Police said the incident isn’t Reid’s first brush with the law. She is already on probation in a neighboring county for welfare fraud and grand theft. Investigators are now looking into whether she should have been working at the daycare in the first place, and if there could be other victims.

“This could have been going on for some time. She’s the director of the daycare, so we just happened to have an employee there that had enough courage to come out and let someone know,” said Razo.

Police said the child in the video was not harmed and that the daycare is closed during the investigation.