Video shows toddler repeatedly thrown to the ground at Minnesota autism center
BURNSVILLE, Minn. — Video from inside an autism center in Burnsville shows the repeated assault of a 3-year-old. Twenty-five-year-old Arianna Williams has been charged with malicious punishment of a child.
The surveillance video recorded inside Sunrise Autism Center shows the young boy playing in the corner before Williams grabs his hand and slams him to the ground. He gets back on his feet and again, she throws him on the ground.
It didn't end there. Moments later, Williams lifts the child up before violently throwing him to the ground for the third time.
Farhiya, a Somali-American mom was scared to show her face and spoke in Somali to WCCO's Ubah Ali. She said she cried and screamed when she first saw the video.
Farhiya said her son was diagnosed with autism last year and she wanted to get him enrolled in a center so he can get speech and occupational therapy. She said he was only going to the center for a week before this assault took place. She says she's hurt this happened to her son who can't even tell her what happened.
Worker allegedly said she was "just having a really bad start to the week"
Charging documents say the now-former worker was a new hire at the Burnsville autism center.
"You would think she doesn't have a heart," Farhiya said in Somali.
Sunrise Autism Center says they fired the teacher immediately and called police.
Charging documents say it was the first day Williams was allowed with children unsupervised. After being fired, investigators say Williams sent a text to a co-worker, reading in part, "I'd never purposely hurt anyone I was just having a really bad start to the week."
In a statement, Sunrise Autism Center says they are "cooperating with the investigation and their priority remains the safety and wellbeing of our clients."
Farhiya says she's grateful for the swift action the center took.
"I hope she never is able to work somewhere with kids, especially children with disabilities," Farhiya said. "She should never be trusted with children ever."
Ultimately, Farhiya says her trust is broken and doesn't know if she'll allow her child back to a center. Adding that she believes the safest place for her children is her home.
Williams is due back in court on June 20.
