By Eleanor Wicklund

Copyright news

The unidentified teacher’s assistant was caught on CCTV tying the 21-month-old to a chair with a blanket at VINCI School Alexandra North in Virginia.

A Virginia Department of Social Services officer inspected the school after getting a tip off from the day care’s licensing office that questionable actions had taken place at the centre.

The report obtained by AXLNOW claimed that the teacher tied up the toddler for 22 minutes during lunch time, at around 11.40am.

“The teacher stated that they did not tie the blanket strong around the child,” the report read.

The teacher apparently claimed that she tied up the child because they threw food on the floor and left the table when they were supposed to be eating, according to the report.

The teacher reportedly didn’t try another method to get the child to sit back down.

In a statement to local news channel WUSA9, the school’s principal insisted that no harm was caused to the child.

“In child care there are many thing that are not black and white. However, we are a very firm believer that regulations and rules must be followed regardless of our feelings to the person in question,” Dr Dan Yang said.

“She did make a big mistake violating regulations but she had no evidence to have abuse or have caused any harm to the child,” she continued.

It is believed that another adult came into the room while the child was bound to the chair, and did not untie the child.

Kristina Milam, the regional director of operations, told the outlet that the teacher had been with the school for over four years and was well-liked by many family.

“While we appreciate her past contributions, every individual must be accountable for their actions, and maintaining a safe, compliant environment cannot be traded off,” Ms Milam said.

According to the Department of Social Services, VINCI School has a ‘Prohibited Practices & Behaviour Management Policy’ that prohibits the physical restraint of children, including restraining them to chairs, car seats, strollers or any other device, as a form of discipline or instead of supervision.

It is only permitted as a last resort if the child is in danger of hurting themselves or others.

Local police informed the outlet that they were notified of the incident through Child Protective Services and found no criminal activity was involved.