Daycare Workers Arrested For Holding A Toddlers Fightclub

Three daycare workers in Dover, Delaware were arrested in August 2012 after investigators found they had been encouraging toddlers in their care — children as young as three — to fight each other, and filming the fights on their cell phones.

Police said the workers staged the fights between the toddlers and recorded the altercations. The footage was discovered on a phone, leading to a search of the facility and the arrests of the three employees on charges including assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Parents of children at the daycare were notified, and the facility faced scrutiny from state childcare regulators.

The case drew national attention and prompted renewed calls from childcare advocates for stronger oversight of daycare facilities — including more frequent unannounced inspections and stricter hiring and training standards for childcare workers.