Day care worker charged with assaulting 2-year-old boy

Charges were filed Wednesday against a former Nixa day care worker who allegedly assaulted a 2-year-old boy.

Christina E. Hindman, 46, was charged with third-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor, after court documents say she picked up a 2-year-old boy under her care and forcibly sat him down in a chair.

According to a probable cause statement, police were called to Ready Set Learn Daycare in Nixa on Jan. 8 when a different employee reported the incident involving Hindman and 2-year-old Caleb Harris.

Police reviewed the surveillance video, which showed Hindman push a different child to the ground and then start walking toward Caleb, the statement says.

Caleb ran away from Hindman, but Hindman caught him and guided him by the arm to a chair in the corner of the room, the statement says. Hindman then lifted Caleb off the ground and forcefully set him down in the chair before pushing his head against the wall, the statement says.

Caleb, who had an inch-long bruise on his left forearm, was put in timeout for close to an hour, his mother said.

Caleb's mother, Megan Harris, got a call from a Nixa detective on Jan. 9 letting her know about the incident. In an interview with the News-Leader this week, she said that her life has been a whirlwind since she got that call.

"I was hysterical that whole entire day," Harris said. "Every time I think about it, which is every single day, those are the same emotions that play over and over again."

Harris said Caleb had already been enrolled at a new day care when the alleged assault occurred, and he was scheduled to start at the new day care the following week because Harris had felt like something was "off" at Ready Set Learn.

Harris said Caleb is doing well now and talking more than ever.

A call to Ready Set Learn on Thursday was not returned.

Harris said she felt like some justice was served when the assault charge was filed against Hindman this week, but she wished prosecutors would have filed a felony abuse charge instead of the less serious misdemeanor assault.

"I am happy that something is being done," Harris said. "I am a little disappointed, frankly, that it couldn't be a higher charge."

Harris said, however, that she does not believe the case is resolved.

A Department of Health and Senior Services report obtained by the News-Leader indicates that Hindman is accused of yelling and using too much force in interactions with several other children.

Harris started a Facebook page Justice for Caleb to get the word out about what happened to her son and encourage legal action. She said she plans to stay active on that website as the case progresses.