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Autism centre employee repeatedly throws 3-year-old to the ground, assault caught on camera

A three-year-old kid’s mother said she “screamed and cried” when she saw a video of an Autism centre employee throwing her son to the ground.

Published on: May 4, 2024, 12:08:40 IST
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A horrific video of an Autism centre employee repeatedly throwing a three-year-old to the ground has surfaced on social media. 25-year-old Arianna Williams has been charged with “malicious punishment of a child” after the incident came to light.

The image shows a woman assaulting a three-year-old boy at an autism centre. (Screengrab)
The image shows a woman assaulting a three-year-old boy at an autism centre. (Screengrab)

The footage, taken inside the Sunrise Autism Center in Burnsville, Minnesota, shows Williams grabbing the boy and throwing him to the ground. She keeps throwing the kid repeatedly.

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(WARNING: Some viewers may find the following video disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.)

How did social media users react?

The footage enraged social media users who condemned the woman. “Geez. Don’t these m***** realise there are cameras everywhere? Centres serving those helpless or unable to respond must be thorough when hiring and ensure background checks are complete. That poor child,” posted an X user.

“Thank goodness for cameras. These people should never be alone or unsupervised if they're a new hire. You don't know them from Adam. I hope she is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Never allowed around children again,” added another.

“I’m so sick of seeing this sort of c***! Some people are just plain evil!” joined a third.

“Life in prison for Arianna Williams. What’s scary is how often stuff like this goes on but isn’t reported. What’s also scary is that teachers and faculty at schools do similar or worse to kids, which never gets punished. Be careful who you entrust your children to,” wrote a fourth.

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Farhiya, the Somali-American mom of the kid, told WCCO that she “cried and screamed” after she saw the video of her son. She enrolled her son in the centre after he was diagnosed with autism last year.

As per the outlet, the now-former worker charged with the assault, reportedly sent a text to a coworker after getting fired. "I'd never purposely hurt anyone I was just having a really bad start to the week,” she wrote.

The centre said that Williams was immediately fired and they also called the police. In a statement, the centre added that they are “cooperating with the investigation, and their priority remains the safety and wellbeing” of their clients.

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More