Surveillance video shows day care teacher pulling chair from under boy

SORRENTO, Fla. — Surveillance video from inside the Children's House of Learning in Sorrento shows a teacher pulling the chair from underneath a 4-year-old child, causing the boy to fall, investigators said.

Investigators said the boy hit his head on the chair as he fell.

Belinda Greer was arrested and is facing felony charges.

"It looks like a lapse in judgment, or she lost her composure for a moment there. It happened so fast," said Fred Jones of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

The student was not seriously hurt.

Authorities said they found out about the incident after the Department of Children and Families started investigating.

"DCF was notified by an anonymous tipster that there was a child abuse situation," Jones said. "It was a situation that he could have really been hurt, and it wasn't reported is what's troubling."

Another teacher witnessed the incident and reported it to the director.

The director took action.

"The teacher was removed from that particular classroom,"  Jones said.

However, the director did not report it to the sheriff’s office and she didn’t tell the child's parents until DCF started investigating.

"The parents were surprised when they heard about it and disappointed,"  Jones said.

The day care staff did not want to comment to Channel 9.

“I can’t talk to you and you’re trespassing, and a sheriff’s department is on the way,” said a day care staff member.

The incident happened in April, but was only recently reported.

Cox Media Group