GLENDALE, Ariz. - Give Harrison Hupper a small plastic hockey stick and ball and he could play for hours. If he's not walking or kicking the ball, he’s quite possibly playing with his race cars.
“That’s my boy,” said Samantha Hupper.
The energetic 2-year-old had been going to Sunrise Preschools near their Glendale home.
"You trust them. You trust them with your child’s safety and education and nutrition and everything else,” said Lance Hupper.
Earlier this week, that trust was shattered when Harrison came home with multiple bite marks on his back and body.
“Not one or two — nine,” said Samantha.
Some of the bites appeared to be deep. You could see bruising and blood marks on his back and side. According to his parents, an urgent care doctor counted nine total bites.
“The bite radiuses were different, so it could have been multiple kids,” Lance said.
Harrison’s grandparents pick him up from school, so Lance and Samantha didn’t know anything about the bite marks until they picked him up from his grandparents.
“I noticed a bite on his cheek at first,” said Samantha.
When she investigated further, she noticed his back was covered with marks.
“I just want to know how she (the teacher) could not hear him making any noises, no way did he not cry. No way,” Samantha said.
The school did send home a note informing the parents about the incident but apparently never called to let the parents know.
“According to the note, she (teacher) was changing a diaper when she noticed some kids rough-housing,” Lance said.
12 News contacted the school. Administrators declined to speak on camera but did release this statement:
“Harrison was bitten by another child while in our care. We self-reported to Child Care Licensing and have thoroughly looked into the situation.
This was an unfortunate accident. Despite our best efforts, toddlers who are developing language skills do sometimes express themselves though biting. In this case, that child is no longer in our care.
Sunrise is committed to providing quality child care for children and specialized teacher training for each stage of development.
Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the children in our care.”
Lance and Samantha said no one from the school has returned their phone calls seeking information about the incident. The school does have cameras in the classrooms and is reportedly reviewing the video.
12 News has learned the school and investigators with the Arizona State Licensing Division are looking into the incident. The school’s policy is to suspend a teacher during such a review, but it is unclear if the teacher in this case has been suspended.
The school did self-report the incident, and 12 News has learned the school is re-training all teachers.
Harrison has been removed from the school and is now going to another facility.
Lance and Samantha posted photos of the bites on Facebook have set up a GoFundMe page to cover the cost of retaining an attorney if they have a case. You can find a link to the GoFundMe account and see the pictures here.