HOUSTON – A private school in The Woodlands is under investigation by the state for possible neglectful supervision after a mother claims her 3-year-old was molested by other children in her class.
The woman, who did not want to be identified to protect her child, says there were at least five incidents at The Primrose School at Creekside Park over the course of two months.
"When she's begging me saying, 'Please don't let them touch me anymore,' I'm going to listen to her," the mother said.
The woman told Local 2 her daughter said a boy and two girls in her class groped her.
"She came home one day and told me she had been touched."
The mother went to school leaders with her concerns.
"They told me they would do something about it and talk to the parents," she said.
But a few weeks later. she says her daughter described in graphic detail another incident with a child in her class.
"When she's crying in the bathtub saying that she's hurting, I'm going to believe her," the woman said.
She removed her child from Primrose last week and filed a complaint with the Child Care Licensing division of the Department of Family and Protective Services.
"We were lulled into a sense of security that they were taking care of my child and that they would always keep her safe because surely that's what we're paying money for," she said.
The owner of the school, Arlena McLaughlin, told Local 2 she voluntarily contacted the state licensing office to report the incidents and is cooperating with the investigation.
"At Primrose, our highest priority has always been the health, safety and well-being of the children entrusted to our care. We have extremely high standards and trust that we have the right systems in place to ensure that safety," McLaughlin said.
The Child Care Licensing Office says their investigation could take up to 45 days.