SEATTLE — A Seattle daycare teacher has been fired after admitting to giving infants melatonin, a common sleep aid.
The shocking allegations are supported by new findings provided through Washington’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
The incidents happened at SEED Early Childhood School at Temple Beth Am, located in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood.
KIRO 7 spoke with a former teacher at the school. She says she’s not surprised by the investigation.
“I did notice when I was in that classroom that children would sleep very heavily and for a very long time, up to 2,3 hours,” says Manya Gorman-Knutson. “Sometimes they would seem out of it, or really groggy.”
She taught at the school in 2022.
KIRO 7 reviewed the inspection by the state which highlights the violations. The inspection states:
Subject admitted to administering melatonin to children without written or signed consent from the parent or guardian of children.
A statement from the childcare center reads in part:
We took swift action upon discovering that a teacher at our early education school administered melatonin to several infants in late 2023. The moment we became aware of this incident, we promptly terminated the teacher’s employment and self-reported to licensing and to CPS. We are fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigation and maintaining open communication with parents regarding the situation.’
The childcare center calls this an “isolated incident”.
Gorman-Knutson disagrees.
”I do think there are greater concerns than just this one situation being a one-off,” said Gorman-Knutson. “And I do have concerns that there’s a culture of people discouraged to speak up about these things.”
The childcare center adds, ‘We treat all allegations of educator misconduct with utmost seriousness and are committed to implementing every necessary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of our children in a secure and nurturing environment.’
