A mother who says her child was abused by a preschool teacher at a Miami Beach school is speaking out and says she's filing a lawsuit.
Paola Hincapie says cameras inside the Lincoln-Marti School on Jefferson Street in Miami Beach captured a parent's worst nightmare involving her 3-year-old daughter.
"Once I saw the video I knew that bad things were happening there. That was just a 10-minute video, imagine what could be in a whole day," Hincapie said. "This teacher jumped over the other kids and hit her, slapped her in the face, like bad."
The preschool teacher caught on camera and accused of child abuse is 54-year-old Clara Quintero-Gonzalez. Detectives say the teacher was seen punching, slapping, elbowing and twisting the arms of four children who were 2 and 3 years old.
Lincoln-Marti staff said they immediately self-reported the allegation and called Miami Beach Police Department, who arrested her. A judge last week ended up giving the teacher a total bond of $10,000. She's under house arrest, is not allowed to interact with children under 12 years of age without supervision and was forced to surrender travel documents.
"The allegations deal with young children so everybody takes it seriously and it pulls on your heartstrings no matter what side you're on," defense attorney Jordan Redavid said after last week's court appearance.
Now the family is filing a civil lawsuit.
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"This lawsuit is not about money, it's about getting answers and also ensuring that children are not harmed," said Hincapie's attorney, Mark Eiglarsh. "We've alleged in this lawsuit that the daycare failed our client both in terms of hiring this woman and also in terms of poorly educating and training her and the result is a harmed child. Should have never happened."
Lincoln-Marti Educational group released a statement Thursday that said they haven't received a copy of the lawsuit.
"We will reserve comment to allow our attorneys to address the allegations in court, preserving the integrity of the process and the privacy of everyone involved," the statement read. "Lincoln-Marti has provided its immediate and voluntary cooperation to the authorities that are investigating this incident and will continue to do so. We are grateful for the unwavering support that our families have given us for more than 48 years and we reaffirm our commitment to the safety and well-being of the children entrusted to our care."
Hincapie said she's hoping the lawsuit leads to answers and justice.
"That's why we're here, to make sure kids don't go through this again," she said.
