Texas Teaching Aide Arrested After Calling Pre-K Student ‘Ugly as Hell’ and Swinging Her by the Feet

A preschool in Texas recorded an incident involving the assault of a toddler by a teaching aide. The suspect reportedly swung the child upside down after making a derogatory comment. Police said the incident traumatized the child to the extent that she was afraid to return to school.

The incident was widely circulated on social media, prompting the preschool administration to issue a clarification. Authorities said the district had taken steps to investigate the case and confirmed that the accused had been arrested.

Rachel Ann Kirspel, 37, was employed as a teacher’s aide at Marshall Early Childhood Center in Texas. She is accused of assaulting a toddler who was between 3 and 4 years old.

According to court documents, Kirspel yanked the child, held her by the feet, and turned her upside down. She pulled the nap mat from under the child, flipped her over, grabbed her collar, and lifted her upside down.

The child screamed and hit her head on a wall. The aide allegedly told the girl, “You are ugly as hell! You can tell your mama didn’t raise you right.”

A co-worker witnessed the incident and told Kirspel to put the child down and leave the room. Kirspel then dropped the child and left.

After the incident gained attention, the child’s parent spoke out on social media. Wayana Darty Williams said that despite the severity of the incident, no arrest was initially made.

Highlighting concerns about the, Williams wrote, “I was told the teacher was terminated immediately and that everything would be handled by Friday evening. But here we are, and no arrest has been made. My daughter was picked up by her feet and dropped on her head. As a parent, there is no pain or anger greater than knowing your child was harmed by someone who was supposed to protect and care for them.”

Defending her actions, Kirspel said the child was not cooperating during class and was playing during nap time. She said she picked the child up from the mat and placed her over her shoulder. She was arrested on May 18 and charged with injury to a child.

Following the incident, Marshall Independent School District (ISD) issued a statement addressing the situation and correcting misinformation.

The statement said, “Marshall ISD is aware of misinformation circulating surrounding the recent arrest of an educational aide. Upon notice of the incident, Marshall ISD first ensured the student’s wellbeing and safety. The aide was immediately removed, barred from returning, investigated, and terminated. The MISD Police Department has investigated the incident and has referred it to additional law enforcement.”