A Scottdale day care center worker is accused of shoving a 4-year-old girl to the ground and allowing another child to hit the girl as a disciplinary measure, according to Scottdale police.
Krista Ondish, 58, of Madison is accused by Scottdale police of assaulting the child Sept. 5 at the New Hope Preschool and Childcare Center at 235 Pittsburgh St., according to court papers.
Ondish is accused of pinning the girl to the corner of a room in the day care center as a timeout after the girl hit another child, court papers said.
An employee who witnessed the incident provided told police they saw Ondish tell another child to hit the girl. A teacher from another room also heard the child hit the floor, police said.
The child’s mother saw the video and questioned why the incident was not reported to authorities.
On Sept. 5, Ondish told the mother about what happened but police said Ondish downplayed it.
Ondish was fired Sept. 8, said Vera Stevens, the day care’s director.
Scottdale Assistant Chief Matthew Zelenak, who filed the charges, said the child’s mother informed him of the incident on Sept. 19. He met Stevens on Sept. 19 and viewed video of the incident, according to court papers.
The girl’s mother said her child no longer attends the day care and has been withdrawn since the incident, police said.
Ondish is charged with a felony count of aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of simple assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
She was arraigned Sunday before North Huntingdon District Judge Henry Moore and was placed in the Westmoreland County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bond. She was released Monday after posting the bond.
Ondish could not be reached for comment and did not have an attorney listed in court papers.
“It was an isolated, unfortunate incident. I’m trying to be here for the children,” Stevens said.
