Fort Worth daycare faces lawsuit after video allegedly shows substitute encouraging toddler fights

FORT WORTH, Texas - A Fort Worth daycare is facing a $1 million lawsuit after surveillance footage allegedly captured a substitute teacher encouraging 4-year-old children to physically fight and throwing a child to the floor like a "human ragdoll."

Toddler "fight-club"

Heather and Richard Harris filed the lawsuit in Tarrant County District Court against Arka Risinger Educators LLC, doing business as Arka Montessori Academy of Risinger. The family is represented by attorney Russell Button of The Button Law Firm.

Timeline:

According to the lawsuit and state findings, the incident unfolded on April 27, 2026, when the 4-year-old was shifted into a combined afternoon classroom. The detailed sequence of events captured on the facility's security cameras includes:

• 4:30 p.m.: The 4-year-old is moved into teacher Jacqueline De Luna’s classroom toward the end of the day as classes are combined and morning teachers depart.
• Initial Altercation: While De Luna's back is turned at the doorway, another boy walks up and strikes the 4-year-old in the back, triggering a brief physical fight just feet away from the unnoticing teacher.
• Intervention and Shift Change: De Luna turns around, separates the boys, and picks up the other child—who is the son of another Arka Montessori teacher, Chynia Johnson. Substitute teacher Chynia Johnson then enters the room to provide coverage so De Luna can use the restroom, taking her son and setting him down. 

• Escalation by Substitute Teacher: Johnson's son points at the 4-year-old and pushes him in the chest. When the 4-year-old puts his hands up, Johnson lunges forward, grabs the 4-year-old's arm, shakes him aggressively, and shoves him away.
• Second Charge: Johnson stands up, speaks to her son, and steps aside to let him charge at the 4-year-old a second time, which results in Johnson's son falling to the ground. Johnson then charges at the 4-year-old again, grabs him by both arms, shakes him, and screams in his face.
• The Takedown: As De Luna returns to the classroom, Johnson sets her son down, reaches across to grab the 4-year-old by the arm, and drags him toward her while encouraging her son to kick and hit him. While holding the 4-year-old's wrist, Johnson reaches out and swipes his leg out from under him, throwing the 4-year-old into the air and crashing down hard onto the hardwood floor.
• Failure to Intervene: The entire takedown occurs as De Luna looks on without intervening to protect the child.

De Luna allegedly looked on without intervening when she returned to the room. When the victim's mother arrived to pick him up, she found him crying hysterically. Staff initially claimed the boys simply got into a fight and that staff only separated them, but a review of the security video revealed the teacher's actions.

The child sustained bruising and scratches on his arms, post-traumatic headaches, and lasting emotional anxiety that has made attending daycare difficult.

"Their trust was violated when the safe environment they were promised turned into a child fight club," the complaint notes.

More violations discovered

Dig deeper:

An independent investigation by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Child-Care Licensing Division cited Arka Montessori for multiple violations, including using prohibited methods of discipline (grabbing, pulling, yelling, and physical restraint) and failing to ensure caregivers protect children under their watch.

The lawsuit notes that the facility has a history of safety violations, accumulating 16 citations since opening in January 2024, including prior instances of children being left unattended outside or alone in a classroom.

What's next:

The plaintiffs are seeking over $1 million in monetary relief, alongside exemplary damages, for negligence, gross negligence, and premises liability.

Fort WorthCrime and Public Safety