A kindergarten teacher in North Carolina has been arrested after allegedly breaking a child’s leg while dragging her down.
Ashley Nicole Taris is charged with aggravated child abuse, according to a warrant Us Weekly.
The incident allegedly happened on August 22, 2025, when Taris, 24, was working at KinderCare in Raleigh.
The child told investigators he was injured after Taris dragged him into the “criss-cross applesauce” area. The incident allegedly caused him to break his lower leg, according to the warrant.
The boy was examined by doctors, and it was concluded that he had broken his tibia, according to CBS 17.
After the incident, Taris was barred from providing child support by state regulators until November 2025, according to a complaint filed in Wake County court.
KinderCare also released a statement, confirming that Taris is no longer employed by the company and has not worked at the daycare center since October 2025, according to WRAL.
“At KinderCare, the safety and well-being of the children in our care is always our top priority,” said a KinderCare spokesperson. “When this incident occurred last summer, we followed our safety protocols and immediately notified the child’s family and the appropriate agencies.”
The statement continued, “Following the direction of state officials, Ms. Taris was temporarily allowed to continue teaching in accordance with an approved safety plan. However, as sometimes happens in an investigation, licensing officials later contacted us in October of 2025 and asked us to remove Ms. Taris from the classroom while they continued their investigation.”
“We put him on administrative leave at that time, and removed him from the center,” concluded the KinderCare spokesperson. “Ms. Taris has not returned to our center since she was given administrative leave, and she is no longer an employee of KinderCare.”
Taris filed a civil complaint with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in January after receiving a written notice that she was unfit to provide for the children, according to WRAL.
In his complaint, Taris stated that he did not agree with the decision and asked that it be withdrawn. The judge has since delayed the civil case pending the outcome of his child abuse charges, according to WRAL.
Taris is next expected to appear in court on April 30. It is not yet clear whether he pleaded guilty or not.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond Us Weeklyrequest for comment on the case.
