Entertainment Report
Teacher caught on video kicking 5-year-old could face criminal charges
A Kansas elementary school teacher who was seen in a surveillance video kicking a 5-year-old student could face criminal charges.
The second-year teacher, identified by a spokesman for the Shawnee Mission School District as Crystal Smith, was fired a month after the Feb. 21 incident at Bluejacket-Flint Elementary School in Shawnee, a suburb of Kansas City.
A district spokesman confirmed Wednesday to NBC News that Smith kicked the student.
The video shows the 5-year-old laying in a bookshelf in the library. Smith yanks the girl out of the shelf and walks away. She returns and kicks the child in the back out of sight of another adult in the room.
School officials found the surveillance footage after the girl’s mother complained the day of the incident.
The woman, who did not want to be identified, said she discovered red marks on her daughter’s arm and the girl said her teacher hit her.
Smith was immediately put on administrative leave and was fired March 15, a district spokesman told NBC News.
The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office said it is reviewing the criminal case but declined to comment further.
The girl’s mother said that she is “deeply disturbed” by how her daughter was treated and that it has caused long-lasting effects.
“As a parent, I trusted the school with my daughter’s safety, and had I not pushed to find information on my own, the safety of all those students could still be at risk,” she said. “No other family should have to experience this, and I hope school officials take meaningful action to prevent and respond to future incidents.”
Dan Zmijewski, an attorney for the girl’s parents, said the family is pursuing a civil suit.
“When parents send their children to school, they have a reasonable expectation that they will be safe, and the schools have a legal duty to maintain their safety,” Zmijewski said.
By: NBC Palm Springs
May 2, 2019
Latest Instagram Posts
CALIFORNIA IS AGING FAST... BUT WHERE WILL THE WORKFORCE LIVE? #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #agingpopulation #nbcpalmsprings
119 jobs on the line and DRD’s General Manager won’t answer questions … Drop a comment 👇: Would you vote YES or NO on giving a district more money if they refuse to answer transparency questions? #therogginreport #drd #coachellavalley #localnews #nbcpalmsprings
Help us choose the next NBC Palm Springs Fan of the Week! Vote for Video 1, 2, 3 or 4. The fan with the most votes will win a pair of tickets to next week’s Coachella Valley Firebirds game! Voting ends Thursday. Who’s your pick?
Spirit Halloween has revealed its top Halloween costume trends for 2026, and pop culture is driving the picks. Off Campus, Toy Story, K-pop Demon Hunters, superheroes, Greek gods and warriors — and plenty of Dolly Partons — are expected to be popular. What are you dressing up as this Halloween? #Halloween2026 #SpiritHalloween #HalloweenCostumes #nbcpalmsprings
After a car drove through a walkway, damaging Bill’s Pizza, the restaurant appears to have begun repairs and is still open the following day. The neighboring store, Gallivant was also damaged and is closed until Monday. The store has a gofundme page opened for them by a neighboring bookstore to support the cost of the damages. NBC Palm Springs is following the effects of this accident and what this means to the Palm Springs community. #billspizza #palmsprings #continuingcoverage #localnews #coachellavalley
Researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are using bioengineered baker's yeast to break down plastic into ingredients for cookies.
Camden, Arkansas, is the unlikely hub of US missile manufacturing after years of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have drained the country's arsenal. But the Trump administration's push to scale up defense production is colliding with the limits of the small, rural town.
Who makes the NBC Top 3, winner will be announced Sunday night on NBC Palm Springs, with the player who makes the number one spot winning a $250 prize from @hondaofthedesert! Comment below if it will 1) Devin Session with the diving TD, 2) Mason Flores with the dot on the run, 3) Reese Johnson with the clutch FG, 4) Kaylaun Smith running over defenders, or 5) Joshua Perez with the TD throw. #hondaofthedesert #fnl #fridaynightlights #fyp #highschoolfootball
🏒🔥 LET’S HEAR FROM TIM O’BRIEN! We’re kicking off Coachella Valley Firebirds Opening Night and catching up with Tim O’Brien! Hear what he has to say as the Firebirds get ready to hit the ice for another exciting season. 🏒🔥 #CoachellaValleyFirebirds #Firebirds #OpeningNight #Hockey #CoachellaValley PalmSprings CVFirebirds
SHARE this reel to help find ‘The Fab 5’ a home! 🐶🤍 #therogginreport #palmsprings #dogrescue #coachellavalley #nbcpalmsprings