Rochester Daycare Worker Accused of Slapping Two-Year-Old Boy

Rochester, MN (RochesterNow)- An employee at a Rochester daycare is accused of slapping a toddler. 

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That’s according to a criminal complaint filed over the weekend in Olmsted County Court. The court document says the incident occurred on May 18. 

The victim is described in the complaint as a two-year-old boy. 

54-Year-Old O2B Kids Rochester Employee Accused of Slapping Two-Year-Old Boy

Rochester police spoke with the victim’s mother, who stated the daycare director told her that her son had been involved in an incident at O2B Kids daycare, located at 5591 Villa Rd NW, where the victim had been attending daycare for the past 12-18 months. 

The director indicated to the boy’s mother that one of the employees, identified as 54-year-old Connie Marie Keller of Rochester, had mistreated the child, according to the complaint. 

Video and Witness Statement

Video of the incident depicted Keller walking across the room and slapping the toddler, who was screaming at another child, in the mouth with the back of her hand, the complaint says. 

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An employee who was working at the same time as Keller told police she heard Keller ask the victim if she needed to hit him in the mouth and state that she would, the court document states. 

Keller then walked across the room while the victim was screaming and crying and hit the toddler in the mouth, the employee said. 

Keller Speaks to Police

Keller told police the boy had started to "scream at the top of his lungs." She said that she “tapped” the victim so he would look at her and stop screaming at the other child, the court document states. 

The daycare director told police that Keller admitted to striking the toddler, saying "I didn't hit him hard, I was just trying to get him to stop screaming," according to the complaint. 

The court document says the victim’s mother brought her son to the hospital. Medical staff did not find any evidence of injury. 

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Keller is charged by summons with gross misdemeanor malicious punishment of a child. She’s scheduled to make her first court appearance in November.