The Watertown Public Schools settled a lawsuit brought by the families of four students in the district’s preschool program after alleged verbal and physical treatment by a teacher in the Early Steps Preschool Program.
The name of the teacher was not released. The district removed the teacher from the class immediately and the person no longer works for the Watertown Public Schools.
KCS Attorneys announced the settlement in a statement on July 9, 2025.
“After months of negotiations and a lengthy mediation, the parties reached a $300,000 settlement to be distributed among the plaintiffs and their families,” the announcement said.
According to the KCS statement, the teacher “repeatedly engaged in verbal and physical mistreatment of the students in her care,” including putting students in improper physical restraints and subjecting them to demeaning behaviors.
“Students were pulled by their ears, stuffed into a cubby, and picked up and dropped to the ground,” the KCS statement said. “Students who wore diapers were subjected to verbal mistreatment and shaming, and were at times forced to change their own diapers or remain in soiled diapers.”
Two of the students had significant special needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder and developmental delays, KCS said, and all of the students’ school experience was negatively impacted.
“All four students experienced lasting emotional and physical effects, including changes in their behavior, increased anxiety, and fear of attending school,” the KCS statement said.
The Watertown Public Schools said the instructor was “immediately removed” when the administration became aware of the behavior.
“There is nothing more important to us than the safety and well-being of our children and the actions of this staff member did not meet those standards,” said a statement released by the Watertown Public Schools. “This employee was immediately removed from the classroom when administrators were made aware of the employee’s alleged behavior by another staff member in March of 2023.”
The instructor’s behavior reached Superintendent Dede Galdston on March 3, 2023, and the district alerted the state.
“The district also immediately filed a report with the Department of Children and Families for further investigation,” the Watertown Public School’s said in the statement. “Watertown Public Schools can confirm that this staff member is no longer employed at the Early Steps School or anywhere else in the district.”
The WPS statement continued: “We are pleased that this matter has been resolved amicably and we are grateful for our teachers and staff members who uphold the values and standards required of caregivers, teachers, and employees of Watertown Public Schools.”