Two day care workers accused of instigating scuffles among young children as part of what one compared to the movie Fight Club pleaded not guilty on Friday to child abuse charges.
Erica Kenny, 22, of Cranford, and Chanese White, 28, of Roselle, entered their pleas on fourth-degree child abuse charges at a hearing.
Kenny also faces a charge of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child over allegations she recorded video footage of the Aug. 13 fights and shared them with friends via Snapchat.
In the footage, she compares the fights to the 1999 movie starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, authorities said.
Union County investigators said about a dozen boys and girls are shown in the clips shoving one another to the ground and trying to hit one another. The children apparently did not suffer any serious injuries.
Kenny said at the hearing that she had just filled out paperwork for a public defender. White said she was still seeking a lawyer. Both refused to comment to reporters.
After the workers were charged on Tuesday, the Lightbridge Academy center in Cranford said in a statement that it was “shocked and saddened by this isolated incident.”
Center officials said they learned of the allegations in the middle of last month and suspended the workers. They were later fired.
Several parents whose children attended the center said they were outraged to learn of the allegations. However, many also praised the center for the way it handled the situation.
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