A video showing a preschool teacher hitting a three-year-old child in a Paris classroom has triggered widespread outrage after it went viral on Tuesday.
The footage, recorded by a parent at a central Paris school, captures a young girl standing next to an overturned chair, crying. The teacher approaches the child, grabs her arm, pulls her around, and strikes her hard on the back. The girl then runs away, and the teacher resumes her duties as if nothing happened.
French Education Minister Nicole Belloubet condemned the video as “terribly shocking and unacceptable in our schools” on X. She announced that the teacher was immediately suspended and disciplinary actions were initiated.
The incident occurred on September 3, just a day after French students returned to school following the summer break.
According to Vanessa Edberg, a lawyer representing the girl’s family, the child had informed her mother that she was also beaten the previous day. Edberg noted that the teacher appeared to be holding back due to the presence of the mother filming the incident.
The girl’s family has filed a legal complaint with the police, accusing the teacher of violence, aggravated by the fact that it took place in a school setting. The lawyer reported that the psychological impact on the child was “severe,” noting that the girl now avoids making eye contact with adults and refuses to discuss the teacher.
Philippe Goujon, the mayor of Paris’s 15th district, where the school is located, described the teacher’s actions as “unbearable” and “unspeakable.” He noted that the teacher, who is around 50 years old and has worked at the school for about 10 years, was well-known to the school community and had no prior incidents of this nature.
Goujon added that the teacher has yet to provide an explanation for her behavior, which raises further concern.