Sejong teachers’ union urges action over kindergarten abuse dispute

A teachers’ union in Sejong on Wednesday called for stronger protection and support for a kindergarten teacher facing a second child abuse complaint from a parent, saying earlier measures had failed to resolve safety concerns in the classroom.

The Sejong branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers’ Union said the parent of a child receiving special education at the school had recently filed a complaint accusing the teacher of physical abuse, citing a red mark on the child’s neck.

The teacher disputed the allegation, saying the mark resulted from the child scratching their own neck. Police are investigating and have obtained surveillance footage from the public kindergarten.

The union said the teacher had suffered repeated injuries while responding to the child’s aggressive behavior, including biting and damage to classroom items. It released photographs showing bruises and apparent bite marks on the teacher's arm that it attributed to those incidents.

The teacher told local media that she had received a tetanus shot and been diagnosed with a concussion following the incidents.

The latest complaint follows a separate case filed by the same parent in July against two other teachers, the principal and the vice principal. That complaint alleged neglect over the kindergarten’s practice of sending the child home when aggressive behavior occurred.

The teachers in that case reported the parent and child for infringing on their educational activities. In August, the Sejong education office’s teacher rights protection committee recognized the infringement and ordered a written apology from the parent and psychological treatment for the child, Newsis reported.

The July complaint remains under police investigation.

The union said effective follow-up measures had not been taken and that the teacher and child remained at the same kindergarten. It also said the parent’s request to transfer the child to another kindergarten had been rejected by the education office.

The Sejong City Office of Education told Newsis that officials responsible for early childhood and elementary education and teacher rights protection were visiting the kindergarten to establish the facts. It said it would issue an official response after completing its review.

The union called for measures that would both protect the teacher and provide appropriate support for the child, including treatment and changes to the learning environment.

Speaking to Yonhap News Agency, the teacher said she felt her safety and ability to teach were not being adequately protected, and questioned how she could continue teaching while facing legal complaints.