After it was reported on Facebook that a Mother dropping her son off for the first time, witnessed a teacher slapping another child, Hilltop Nursery School took down their Facebook page, and got quiet.

Amanda Goldfarb, Toms River, said she was walking into the classroom when she saw a teacher kneeling in front of a child, yelling at the child. This teacher, whose back was turned, allegedly slapped the child on the cheek several times trying to get her attention. This was in a room where all the children were between 2 and a half and 3 years old. Goldfarb doesn’t remember what the teacher was saying.

Goldfarb’s son, who is 2 and a half, was supposed to start that day, but she pulled him out.

A letter was sent to Hilltop parents that read:

An incident was reported to us (on Feb. 21) involving one child. The incident was investigated immediately and involved the conduct of a teacher. We have also requested an independent investigation. The child was not harmed but the conduct of the teacher was not acceptable and consequently the teacher was dismissed. The parent of the child was notified.

We regret that the incident took place and assure all of you that your child’s safety and well-being remains our utmost concern.

We value the confidentiality of all of our children and unfortunately cannot discuss this further but assure you the matter is being addressed appropriately.

One parent of a child at Hilltop – who was not involved in the incident – said that it was a shame that one employee is making the school look bad because “many of them are saints.” This parent chose not to be identified for this story, but verified that his children have attended Hilltop for years.

For more information on this story, including records of the original Facebook complain, visit Jersey Shore Online