Parents Protest Firing Of Teacher Of The Year Over Dirty Diaper Incident

Kelly Hahn was named The St. Louis Public Schools Preschool Teacher of the Year, but a few weeks later she was put on leave for alleged neglect of a child. So just what happened to cause that?

According to St. Louis television station KMOV, a parent of one of Hahn’s students recently sent her 3-year-old to the Wilkinson Early Childhood Center in a pull-up diaper, which is against the school’s policy. Hahn discovered it near the end of the day, and noticed that the diaper had been slightly soiled — but instead of removing the diaper right away, she called the child’s mother.

According to Fox News, One of Hahn’s co-workers called the Missouri Department of Family Services (DFS) to report the incident.

Hahn was subsequently removed from the classroom, just two weeks after she received the Teacher of the Year award.

The DFS did not find any indication of neglect, but St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Kelvin Adams says that the school system has different standards.

Hahn notified parents that she had received a letter from the district stating that she is being fired from the preschool for “child neglect and endangerment.”

However, even Cynthia West, mother of the child involved, said that she did not feel her child had been neglected.

“Regardless of the policy, what happened is so minor that it couldn’t possibly warrant incriminating a fabulous teacher,” West said.

Other parents are outraged over Hahn’s firing, and some said that their children came home from school every day, crying and asking where their favorite teacher had gone. Some of the children even questioned whether Hahn had cancer.

Parents say that Hahn’s substitute isn’t even a certified teacher, and many of them have threatened to pull their children out of the school unless Mrs. Hahn is reinstated.

Dana Evans, president of the school’s Parent Teachers Organization, told KMOV she did not agree with the school’s decision.

“How can something so ludicrous, so crazy having to do with the best teacher in our school district, getting sent out and possibly getting fired over a pull-up issue,” she said.

Parents confronted Superintendent Adams at a meeting this past Thursday, but he would not release any information regarding the incident and Hahn’s firing.

“That’s the handcuffs that we have relating to personnel, we cannot discuss specific personnel issues,” he said.

“It is mind-blowing, actually. My wife and I are both enraged by the whole situation,” said parent T.J. Gilmor. “She is a fabulous teacher. We couldn’t speak more highly of her.”

“She loves those kids, and there’s no substitute for that,” said Gilmore’s wife, Sue.

Considering that the teacher in this Inquisitr story who filmed her students fighting instead of breaking it up only received a 15-day suspension, do you think Hahn’s punishment is too harsh?

[Image via WiseGeek]