A Texas preschool teacher is accused of subjecting a four-year-old girl to severe torment, including verbal abuse, physical manhandling, and threats of imprisonment, according to a lawsuit filed by the child's parents. The suit also alleges that the Trinity Lutheran School and Early Childhood Center in San Angelo failed to adequately address the teacher's alleged mental health struggles and neglected to preserve crucial evidence.
The lawsuit, filed by Patrick and Mellissa Killingsworth, claims that teacher Justice Thomas engaged in a pattern of abuse against their daughter, identified as PK, on March 24, 2021. The alleged incidents began when PK, after asking for help with a test, was reportedly screamed at by Thomas, who told the child she was not going to kindergarten and questioned her intelligence. According to the complaint, Thomas also mocked PK's crying in front of her classmates and told her that her parents did not want her.
The alleged abuse escalated when Thomas reportedly removed PK from the classroom, forced her into a dark closet for about a minute, and then led the child to believe police were coming to take her to jail. Audio recordings included in the lawsuit allegedly capture Thomas telling PK that her parents were tired of her behavior and wanted her gone, and that she would be in jail with "big grown-up scary people."
During the incident, Thomas allegedly dragged PK toward the front door, causing her to hit a wall, and then forced her into the hallway. The lawsuit states that at least one employee witnessed the incident but did not intervene.
The Killingsworths claim that school administrators, including Director Tracy Rabb, were aware of Thomas's mental health struggles prior to the incident. Text messages included in the filing reveal that Thomas had informed school leaders of "explicit warnings" that she was "approaching a mental health breakdown" and had experienced "panic attacks" and suicidal thoughts. Despite these warnings, the lawsuit alleges, Thomas was still required to work due to staffing shortages.
After the incident, the parents allege the school failed to preserve all surveillance footage and did not promptly report the abuse as required by Texas law. The lawsuit contends that the school waited five days before informing the Killingsworths of what had occurred and that the school "cherry picked" what footage to retain.
In a forensic interview, PK reportedly described being hit, pinched, and scratched by Thomas. The lawsuit claims that in the months following the incident, PK experienced frequent nightmares, potty accidents, and a persistent fear of small, dark places.
Thomas was arrested in April 2021 and charged with injury to a child. She received 10 years of probation and a $2,500 fine. According to the lawsuit, the charges are to be dropped and her record cleared upon completion of her probation.
The Killingsworths are seeking monetary relief exceeding $1 million for the alleged trauma inflicted upon their daughter. Trinity Lutheran School has not yet filed a response to the amended lawsuit. The attorney for the parents stated that the school's leadership ignored childcare laws and prioritized staffing over child safety before attempting to conceal their failures.