Arka Montessori has 11 separate locations in the greater Dallas area. The April incident cited in the lawsuit took place in the Risinger campus.
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A Fort Worth family has filed a $1 million lawsuit against Arka Montessori Academy, alleging an employee encouraged a “child fight club” environment before physically assaulting their 4-year-old son as a form of discipline.
The lawsuit, filed on Sept. 4 in Tarrant County, seeks damages for the “serious physical, emotional, mental, and psychological injuries” suffered by the boy, identified in the complaint as U.H.
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The allegations stem from an April 27 incident involving U.H., another student and the student’s mother Chynia Johnson, who was serving as a substitute teacher that day.
According to the complaint, the incident began after U.H. was moved into a combined classroom as teachers began leaving for the day.
From daycare to toddler fight club
The lawsuit alleges Johnson’s son struck U.H. in the back while the classroom’s regular teacher, Jacqueline De Luna, was looking away. De Luna later told investigators that Johnson then entered the classroom, where she allegedly encouraged her son to continue the altercation, according to the complaint.
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The lawsuit alleges that Johnson’s son then ran towards U.H. and pushed him in the chest while Johnson “aggressively” grabbed and shook U.H. ‘s arm before “forcefully” shoving him away.
Johnson is then seen talking to her son again right before he makes a third attempt to charge at U.H., according to the complaint.
“This time, U.H. puts out his leg and arms to defend the attack, causing the boy to fall to the ground,” the complaint states.
Photos embedded into the Button Law Firm lawsuit against Arka Montessori show Johnson wrangling both boys during the altercation.
Arka Monterssori /Button Law Firm
The complaint alleges Johnson then lunged at U.H., grabbed him by both arms, shook him and reportedly screamed in his face. As U.H. struggled to escape her grasp, Johnson then proceeded to grab her own son and dragged him back to being face to face with U.H.
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De Luna told investigators she heard Johnson telling her son to kick and hit U.H., according to the complaint. The complaint then alleges that while Johnson held U.H. by the wrist, she grabbed and pulled his leg out from under him, causing him to fall hard onto the classroom’s hardwood floor.
⚖️LAWSUIT⚖️Heather and Richard Harris vs Arka Montessori Academy of Risinger ⚖️
Suing the Fort Worth daycare after they say the employees encouraged their young child to fight with other children.
The family attorney has filed a lawsuit alleging a teacher encouraged her own son… pic.twitter.com/MCPTXfQUEO
— American Crime Stories (@AmericanCrime01) September 15, 2026
Video included in the lawsuit appears to show De Luna watching the altercation without intervening.
‘I knew something had happened’
“Arka Montessori treated 4-year-old U.H. like a human ragdoll. He was forced to physically defend himself from both a child and an adult 10 times his size,” the lawsuit, which was filed by Dallas-based Button Law Firm, reads.
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When Heather Harris, U.H’s mom, arrived later that day for pickup, she reportedly found her son “hysterically” crying.
According to the complaint, staff initially characterized the incident as a one-off altercation with another student.
Harris said she knew there was more to what happened.
“I knew from his cry and the look on his face that something had happened. I said, I need to see the cameras,” said Harris in an interview with WFAA.
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The complaint says U.H. sustained bruising and scratches on his arms, post-traumatic headaches, and has lasting emotional anxiety over attending daycare.
The suit also alleges that other employees knew Johnson was unfit for her role and that the daycare had knowledge of her “regular yelling and aggressive behavior with children” yet failed to take proper action.
The Texas Health and Human Services conducted a separate investigation into the incident and cited Arka Montessori for four violations of childcare safety laws, including:
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Improper Methods of Discipline
Prohibited Punishments: grabbing and pulling
Prohibited Punishments: humiliating, rejecting, yelling
Failing to Demonstrate Competency, Good Judgment, and Self-Control – Responsibilities of Employees and Caregivers.
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“What happened to U.H. was preventable. Parents have the right to expect that their children will not be yelled at, grabbed, yanked, dragged, thrown on the floor, and forced to fight other children while at daycare,” the suit states.
Chron has reached out to Arka Montessori Academy for comment and has not heard back.