A former employee at a Minnesota care facility for autistic children faces felony charges after she was shown on video physically abusing a 3-year-old Somali-American boy before telling stunned co-workers, “I was just having a really bad start to the week.”
Arianna Williams, 25, was fired from Sunrise Autism Center in Burnsville, and she was later arrested and charged with one count of malicious punishment of a child, according to court papers.
She is due to appear in court on June 20 to answer to the charges.
The child in her care had been at the center for just one week when he was violently attacked, police said.
Williams was a recent hire at the facility, and the incident occurred on the first day that she was allowed to be alone and unsupervised with any children.
When co-workers saw the video, they immediately called the police.
After Williams was ordered off the property, she sent a text message to someone on the staff, saying, “I’d never purposely hurt anyone. I was just having a really bad start to the week.”
Video of the disturbing incident has gone viral on social media since May 3, showing Williams being violent and aggressive with the boy.
The footage shows the child playing in the corner of a room by himself but in the care of Williams, who, for no apparent reason, picked up the boy and slammed him to the floor three times in full view of motion-activated cameras.
The video contains no audio, but the boy appears to be crying and upset, although his actions indicate he did not seem to fully comprehend that he was being thrashed.
The child’s mother, who was identified only by her first name, Farhiya, told news outlets that she was horrified when she saw the video of her son being thrown around like a rag doll.
In an interview with local station WCCO, Farhiya spoke in Somali, saying her son was diagnosed with autism last year and that she enrolled him at the center so he could receive speech and occupational therapy.
According to CBS News, “You would think she doesn’t have a heart,” Farhiya told a reporter in her native language.
Farhiya said she remains angry over what happened, adding that her son had been traumatized and was unable to communicate after the incident.
In a statement, Sunrise Autism Center expressed regret but emphasized that “their priority remains the safety and wellbeing of our clients.”
Although she was still shaken up over the abuse of her son, Farhiya said she was relieved that the center took immediate action and removed Williams.
She said the incident had shattered her trust and that she was unsure if she would allow her son to go back to the center, saying the only safe place for her boy now is at home.
“I hope she never is able to work somewhere with kids, especially children with disabilities,” Farhiya said. “She should never be trusted with children ever.”
The case recalls a similar episode in Texas where a former teacher pleaded guilty last August to injuring a special-needs student in 2022.
Amber Hall, who worked at Tipps Elementary School in Houston, was charged with injury to a child for dragging the 5-year-old down a hallway by his ankles, Atlanta Black Star previously reported.
