Teacher loses job and unemployment benefits over alleged treatment of her own child

A central Iowa teacher was fired and denied unemployment benefits over the alleged treatment of her daughter at a childcare center.

State records show that Shelbie Sutton was employed full time as a teacher at Des Moines’ New Horizon Academy childcare center from February 2025 until April 22, 2026, when she was fired. She subsequently filed for unemployment benefits, which led to a June 24, 2026, hearing before Administrative Law Judge Stephanie Adkisson.

According to Adkisson’s written findings of fact in the case, Sutton was fired after a parent of one of the students attending the academy reported to the school’s director that she had seen Sutton physically drag a female child across the classroom floor by the girl’s arms, then take the girl into a bathroom, from which the parent could hear Sutton yelling expletives at the child.

Later, the parent allegedly reported, Sutton dragged the child by her arms back across the classroom. “The parent was visibly shaken and upset over the incident,” Adkisson stated in her findings, which were based on testimony from school officials.

The school investigated the incident, Adkisson found, by reviewing security-camera footage, speaking to Sutton and the complaining parent, and interviewing two teachers who were present during the incident. According to Adkisson, the security footage and teacher interviews corroborated the parent’s complaint.

When questioned about the incident, Sutton told her superiors the child in question was her own daughter who is a student at the academy and had been acting out, according to Adkisson’s findings.

Citing school policies that prohibit corporal punishment — defined as including rough handling and pulling arms — the school fired Sutton, noting that employees with children attending the academy sign a contract agreeing to comply with all policies as they relate to their own children.

Adkisson denied Sutton’s claim for unemployment benefits, noting the evidence that corroborated the complaint and the fact that Sutton did not deny the allegations.

“Parents entrust the employer to teach and care for their students and have an expectation that all children will be treated in accordance with employer policies prohibiting mistreatment of children, no matter whether that employee is the parent of the child,” Adkisson stated in her ruling.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Sutton for comment.