A Texas couple is suing a daycare for more than $1 million after surveillance footage allegedly showed a substitute teacher encouraging her son to brawl with another four-year-old in what has been called a “fight club.”
Heather and Richard Harris filed the lawsuit on September 4 against Arka Risinger Educators LLC, which operates Arka Montessori Academy of Risinger in Fort Worth.
The case concerns an April 27 incident involving their four-year-old son, identified in court documents as U.H.
According to FOX 4, U.H. was moved into a combined afternoon classroom at approximately 4:30pm as teachers began leaving for the day.
The lawsuit claims another boy, whose mother Chynia Johnson worked at the daycare, struck U.H. in the back while teacher Jacqueline De Luna had her attention elsewhere. De Luna reportedly separated the children before Johnson entered the room as substitute coverage.
Johnson’s son reportedly pointed at U.H. and pushed him in the chest. When U.H. raised his hands, Johnson is said to have grabbed the child by the arm, shook him and shoved him away.
The complaint claims Johnson then spoke to her son and stepped aside, allowing him to charge at U.H. again. After the other boy fell, Johnson grabbed U.H. with both arms, shook him and screamed in his face.
ScreenshotDaycare previously cited over safety violations
When De Luna returned, Johnson allegedly dragged U.H. toward her son while encouraging the boy to kick and hit him.
The lawsuit claims Johnson held U.H. by the wrist and swiped his leg from beneath him, sending the child crashing onto the hardwood floor as De Luna watched without intervening.
“This place looked like a child fight club. It felt like one,” family attorney Russell Button told WFAA.
Heather Harris reportedly found her son crying hysterically when she arrived to collect him. Staff initially told her that the boys had fought and employees had separated them, but she demanded to review the surveillance footage.
“Nothing prepared me for seeing my child aggressively handled and attacked by another child at a teacher’s orders,” she said. “My heart just shattered into pieces because I couldn’t be there to protect my son from being harmed, all while he was being cared for by a daycare that I trusted.”
The complaint says U.H. suffered bruises and scratches on his arms, post-traumatic headaches and lasting anxiety that made it difficult for him to continue attending daycare.
The Harris family said they had researched several facilities before choosing Arka Montessori, prioritizing its cleanliness, educational standards and round-the-clock surveillance cameras.
“The trust that I put in this daycare, they failed us,” Richard Harris said.
An investigation by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Child-Care Licensing Division cited the daycare for prohibited disciplinary methods, including grabbing, pulling, yelling and physical restraint. It was also cited for failing to ensure caregivers protected children in their care.
FOX 4 reports that the facility had accumulated 16 safety citations since opening in January 2024, including previous cases of children being left unattended outside or alone in classrooms. The Independent reports 21 total deficiencies involving health and safety risks, although an August 20 inspection found none.
Johnson is no longer employed by the daycare and no criminal charges have been filed.
The lawsuit seeks more than $1 million in compensation and exemplary damages over allegations of negligence, gross negligence and premises liability.
The case follows other daycare controversies over the year, including a director accused of stealing $2.75 million to fund a lavish lifestyle and buy WWE tickets and claims that apparently empty Minnesota daycares received millions in public funding.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
