Kindergarten Teacher Locks Girl In Closet, Forgets About Girl, Goes Home

A kindergarten teacher in Memphis, Tennessee is being accused of locking one of her 5-year-old students in a closet. The ridiculous thing about this debacle is that Kristin Ohsfeldt didn’t tell anyone about the girl. Ohsfeldt then went home.

Apparently locking Akeelah Joseph in the closet was considered a punishment by Ohsfeldt. Ohsfeldt left the school — apparently due to sickness — and Akeelah remained in the closet for more than an hour. A substitute teacher found Joseph in the closet.

(Akeelah) also said that the teacher is a nice teacher but when the teacher puts them in there for timeout that she gives them a book, she gives them beads to count and it’s just a timeout. But my concern was why we weren’t informed? – Deanna Williams, grandmother

And Akeelah’s mother wants Ohsfeldt fired.

You don’t do a child like that. If you’re going to punish a child, you tell them to stop and behave or you’re going to write them up and send them to office. You don’t put a child in a closet, period. – Wanda Joseph, mother

Ohsfeldt was suspended with pay.