Providenciales, TCI, January 27, 2017 – Parents of children who once attended Tumble Totz Daycare say they are speaking out to defend the reputation of who their children lovingly call, Teacher Suzie, after the educator was reportedly fired and deported in what they believe was an unfair situation.
The two, who met with Magnetic Media this week explained that Suzette Codling of Jamaica is not an abusive teacher, that their children have been unnecessarily traumatized by the December decision and they thought it was important that someone was on the record about Codling’s good work.
Tumble Totz is owned by former Education Minister, Lillian Boyce and both young women asked for their identities not to be revealed, they say, for fear of victimization. The women presented us audios of the meeting Mrs. Boyce held with eight parents in December to explain concerns of abuse, namely ear pulling, corporal punishment or spanking; parents at that meeting, the two say, were shocked at the allegation.
We contacted spokesperson for the school, Hayden Boyce who explained that while these parents may not have experienced any abuse of their children, there are other accounts of harsh treatment allegedly by Codling to be considered by the institution.
Tumble Totz media statement: “This decision not to renew the work permit was taken after some very serious allegations emerged late last year, that Ms. Codling had been verbally and physically abusing young children who were in her care. The daycare believes that any and all allegations of abuse must be taken extremely seriously and that such actions must not be condoned under any circumstances.”
These comments were given also to Jamaican media houses which have picked up the story and in at least publication, headlined it as the Turks and Caicos, again, being abusive to expatriate professionals.
The parents who spoke to Magnetic Media believe the action by Immigration was allegedly instigated by Tumble Totz, but Mr. Boyce outlines a chain of events which includes Codling getting monies owed, return ticket and selecting a date to leave the TCI. It is said that Teacher Suzie wanted to change that date, Immigration denied the change and Ms Codling was picked up on January 13th and detained.
Suzette Codling has also been in touch with Magnetic Media and expresses outrage that she was locked up in a ‘rat infested’ holding center and that she was treated like a criminal; statement issued by her lawyer: “Ms. Codling stated that she refuses to be another unheard statistic, because this has happened to other Jamaican teachers. Ms. Codling wants to make the record clear that she has never physically nor verbally abused any child…” Boyce says the statements made by Codling are false. Codling says they are not false and she is taking the matter to court.
The parents of the K4 and K5 aged children, said of Teacher Suzie who was serving as Vice Principal of Tumble Totz, that she was excellent with their children; they loved the fact that she is a reading specialist. Since the decision to terminate or not to reapply for a work permit for the Jamaican teacher, six parents have pulled their children from Tumble Totz and relocated them to other schools.
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