At one time in my life, I could say with 99.9% confidence that I was a pacifist. I let spiders go when I see them scurrying across my floor, and I tear up hearing about atrocities on the news. I, in general, believe it is important to do no harm. Having a kid changed that a bit. Although I haven’t yet committed any acts of violence in his name (thankfully, because I haven’t had to), I can say with 100% certainty that I would.
Hearing someone — or something — is harming your kid, or honestly even imagining it, is enough to make any mother’s blood boil.
A Salem County, New Jersey, mom named Mariah recently had to show restraint when she learned her 5-year-old daughter was assaulted while at school. According to People, Mariah told CBS News Philadelphia that she got a call from a staffer at John Fenwick Academy about 12 p.m. October 2, 2025, letting her know that her daughter was misbehaving. Shortly afterward, she received another call telling her she needed to come to the school immediately.
“When I asked if my daughter was in trouble or okay, she [the principal] said she didn’t want to talk about it over the phone,” Mariah told the outlet.
When she arrived at the school, she learned that her daughter had been assaulted by a teacher’s aide. A staffer who witnessed the incident, according to the New York Post, filed a police report stating the aide picked up Mariah’s daughter and forcefully put her in a chair — which led to the back of her head hitting a metal cabinet.
“I asked where the paraprofessional was. They said they sent her home. Then I asked where the police were, and they said they do not contact the police; that they were doing an internal investigation,” Mariah said.
Since then, the mom alleges bruises have begun to appear on her daughter’s neck, legs, and arms.
The status of the staffer’s employment remains unclear, but the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families are investigating the incident.
“Salem City School District’s top priorities are the safety, well-being, and academic success of every student,” school officials shared in a statement, per CBS News Philadelphia. “We are deeply committed to maintaining a secure and supportive learning environment for everyone in our community. We want to assure our families and the public that any concern is taken seriously. All matters are handled internally with the utmost care, thoroughness, and fairness, ensuring full compliance with established procedures and the law.”
Still, the mom is reeling over what happened to her little girl. “As a parent, it’s like you do whatever you can to protect your kids, but I never expected this in a kindergarten class,” she said, per the Post.
So … where is this aide? We all just wanna talk to the person for a minute …
