Michigan shuts down two Metro Detroit daycare centers over alleged abuse
(CBS DETROIT) — The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential is suspending and intending to revoke the licenses of two area daycare centers.
The announcement comes as the bureau wraps up a months-long investigation into 4K Learning Center Detroit and 4K Learning Center Southgate, both owned by Isatou Whitfield.
The bureau reportedly found a series of abuses at both centers that date back several years.
Asia Boynton, of River Rouge, is one of several family members who filed reports that led to the shutdown.
"I found my son in the back of the classroom, with tables around him and strapped to one of the table legs," Boynton told CBS News Detroit. "And he couldn't move."
Boynton filed a report with Southgate police and immediately decided to remove her son from 4K Learning Center due to what she believed to be its owner's gross incompetence.
"If you're running something you should know what's going on in your daycare," Boynton said. "And for you to go on for however long it's going on it's unacceptable."
On Oct. 24, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential filed an emergency order that will make it so no child will have to endure what allegedly happened to Boynton's son at either location owned by Whitfield.
In the report, the bureau stated findings, which included three videos from 2021 that reportedly showed Whitfield physically and verbally abusing children.
The report states that in the first video, Whitfield could be seen sitting inside a van while hitting, kicking and stomping a child. The video then reportedly showed Whitfield asking the child, "You like that (redacted)? Do you like that (redacted)?"
The order of suspension goes on to describe a second video where Whitfield is reportedly holding a screaming child down by the head and yelling, "My little (redacted) is gonna (redacted) your (redacted) up."
The third video reportedly showed Whitfield strangling another child while yelling "I will kill your (redacted). Do you hear me?"
"I feel like they should've been closed after that happened," Boynton said. "He's autistic, and he can't talk. Just imagine what else they could've been doing to him. If I wouldn't have walked in and seen them they would probably still be doing it to this day."