Two employees at a San Antonio day care were caught using profane language and threatening young children in their care, with one woman even threatening physical harm. The shocking discovery was made after a parent, concerned about her child’s well-being, placed a small recording device in her toddler’s jacket. The nearly seven-hour-long audio recorded in December led the day care’s parent company, KinderCare, to permanently ban both employees from working at any of its facilities.

Carley Hernandez, the concerned parent, noticed changes in her daughter’s behavior and suspected mistreatment at Mossrock KinderCare in the 2700 block of Mossrock, on the North Side. After witnessing her daughter being denied water by one of the employees, Hernandez decided to record the day care’s activities. The audio revealed numerous instances of profane language and threats directed towards young children, including Hernandez’s own child.

The appalling language and comments captured on the recording include:

“I’m gonna go and I’m going to beat both of y’all. That’s what I’m going to do.”

“I’m about to throw some bitch swings at some of y’all right now.”

“Just get away from me, because I will end up in jail.”

“Shut the fuck up (name redacted). Go (name redacted). Get your ass over there and start jacking off over there.”

“I’ll start being violent. Just for her.” (It’s unclear whether this refers to a child or a parent.)

Hernandez said her daughter became increasingly violent, stopped responding to her name, and even lost weight after enrolling at the day care last fall. After listening to the recordings, Carley and her husband, Aaron, decided to remove their daughter from the facility. Aaron Hernandez expressed his deep disappointment, saying, “I trusted these people and I don’t know when I’m going to be able to do that again.”

Carley Hernandez reported the incident to the San Antonio Police Department and Child Protective Services. Although the investigation initially began as terroristic threats, it was later suggested that the case may be filed as a lower-level disorderly conduct case with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.

In late February, a Mossrock KinderCare official confirmed to parents that the two teachers involved were no longer employed at the day care. In response to the incident, a KinderCare spokesperson released a statement, emphasizing that the behavior was unacceptable and did not reflect their company values or standards. They also reassured parents that they are committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all children.

As a result of the incident, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is no longer accrediting the facility as of late February. The woman heard on the recordings has not been criminally charged or identified in any public investigative records. Additionally, no allegations of misconduct against the teachers being investigated involve physical violence, according to police records.