A daycare teacher is facing charges of misdemeanor assault and battery following an alleged assault on a child at the Reston school, Fairfax County police said yesterday (Aug. 13).
Detectives responded to Bright Horizons Daycare at 11400 Commerce Park Drive on Aug. 7 for a report of an assault on the 3-year-old.
“Detectives determined [that] Jaspal Bharaj, 61, of Reston, while employed as a teacher at the daycare, assaulted a child by pulling his hair, pushing his head into a basket, and pushing the child to the ground,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a press release.
The alleged incident occurred on Aug. 4, a few days before detectives responded, the FCPD told FFXnow.
The department said that specialists from the Victim Services Division were assigned to provide resources and assistance for the child.
It’s unclear exactly when Bharaj was taken into custody, as a search of online court records for her name didn’t turn up any results, as of yesterday afternoon. Since it involves a child, the case will likely be handled through the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
Police said Bharaj was released on a summons. Assault and battery is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia; if convicted, she could face up to a year in jail, be fined up to $2,500, or both.
Bright Horizons’ corporate offices did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The company’s Reston location provides day care and early education programs for infants, toddlers and pre-school age children, along with summer camp.
The FCPD is asking anyone with information about the alleged assault or potentially related cases to contact its Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800 and select option “4.”
