BAKER - The Louisiana Department of Education is investigating Scholarly Education of Precious Tots, a daycare, after an upset parent raised concerns about how her daughter was treated by other children.

The daycare on Harding Street opened in 2017. DOE says it hasn't received complaints about the daycare before, but public records show the center was cited on three different occasions for deficiencies in 2018.

The deficiencies varied in type, but one problem detailed in a Nov. 19, 2018 report appears similar to what has the daycare in the spotlight right now.

That deficiency report says on Oct. 30, 2018, one child slapped another in the face, and an employee at the time "popped" the child after witnessing it.

That instance was not immediately reported to the parents of the children involved, as is required. The report says parents were notified four hours later.

The daycare's owner, who released a lengthy statement in lieu of an interview Wednesday, told WBRZ Thursday the employee in the 2018 slapping incident was fired immediately.

The employee involved in the latest controversy, who can be seen in video footage walking outside before the 18-month-old girl is repeatedly hit, and later cursing in front of children, was reprimanded, the daycare's owner said.

The employee, who has worked at SEPT since Jan. was written up and placed on probation, along with a two-day, unpaid suspension.

The owner, Toccara Sept, said the employee has been written up previously for showing up to work late.

After the three deficiency citations in 2018, DOE has not found any deficiencies throughout five inspections of the center since 2019.