MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee grandmother says her three-year-old grandson is now afraid to return to school after what she describes as troubling incidents inside his pre-K classroom at Manitoba School earlier this month.
Milwaukee police confirm they investigated the allegations, and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office says the case remains under review.
Katie Ryckman says her concerns first began Sept. 11 when her grandson came home upset after an incident during nap time.
Hear why a Milwaukee grandmother says she felt compelled to speak out
“He came home September 11th, extremely upset about something that had happened at school,” Ryckman said.
Ryckman says the child later told her a teacher “started screaming at him” and “shoved his head into the cot.”
Days later, Ryckman says she discovered bruising on the back of the child’s leg while giving him a bath. She provided TMJ4 with a photo she says documents the injury.
“I went to give him a bath, and there was significant bruising on his left leg,” Ryckman said. “And when I asked what had happened, his response was that the teacher hit him with a stick-like object.”
Ryckman says her grandson has been deeply affected by the alleged incidents.
“He's traumatized. He does not want to go to school. He wants nothing to do with school. To him now, school is a bad place to be,” she said.
In a Sept. 16 letter sent to Manitoba School families and staff, Principal Christopher Garza said the school contacted Milwaukee police and Child Protective Services after receiving a report that a staff member spanked a student.
“We also are conducting a full investigation, as we would in any such case,” Garza wrote. “The individual is not currently working in the building.”
TMJ4 also spoke with other parents over the phone who described similar concerns about the teacher’s handling of students inside the classroom.
When TMJ4 asked Milwaukee Public Schools whether the teacher had since returned to the classroom, an MPS spokesperson declined to comment further, citing it as a personnel matter.
Ryckman says she decided to speak publicly because she believes parents deserve to know what she says happened inside the classroom.
“I just think that it's very important that parents stand together and really push for the school district to do a better job protecting our students,” she said.
TMJ4 is not naming the teacher because no charges have been filed.
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