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Video shows apparent ‘fight club’ at children’s day care centre

A video shows small boys wearing oversized green Incredible Hulk fists punching each other.

Published
Posed photograph simulating a child being bullied

An American daycare centre is under fire after a video surfaced showing pre-school children punching each other in what appeared to be a fight club organised by teachers.

Local television station KTVI-TV obtained video taken at Adventure Learning Centre, in St Louis, Missouri, in December 2016. It shows small boys wearing oversized green Incredible Hulk fists punching each other, including in the head. At one point, a teacher jumps up and down in apparent excitement.

The only person seen trying to break up a fight is another child.

Police and state inspectors investigated. Both teachers were fired but no charges were filed and the centre was allowed to remain open.

The mothers of two of the children are suing. The case goes to trial in December.

The video was captured by the 10-year-old brother of one of the participants, who was in an adjoining room. He sent the video to his mother, who called the centre’s director. The director stopped the fighting and both teachers were fired.

The day care centre’s own cameras captured more than 30 minutes of fighting, KTVI reported.

Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s office declined to prosecute. A statement on Wednesday cited poor judgment by the adult supervisors but “insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any laws were violated”. Spokeswoman Susan Ryan said there was no evidence that any of the children were injured.

But in the lawsuit filed in January, one of the mothers said her son “continues to suffer injuries to his body, as well as mental anguish”.

State regulators increased inspections after the incident and follow-up visits found other violations, but nothing that merited closing the centre, KTVI reported.

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