Parents of afternoon-session students at the Laura Elena Arce Cavazos preschool in Tijuana padlocked the school gates on Thursday, demanding the removal of a teacher they accuse of emotionally mistreating young children.
Mothers who staged the protest said their children had developed anxiety after attending school. They accused the teacher of routinely scolding students, withholding recess as punishment, forcing naps, and sending messages to families suggesting their children may be autistic.
Education Officials Say Transfer Must Wait Until August
Officials from the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP, Mexico’s federal education ministry) told families that a formal teacher transfer cannot happen until August under current administrative rules. Parents rejected that timeline outright.
By padlocking the campus gates, the group vowed to keep the school closed until authorities take concrete action. The dispute centers on the afternoon session only, though the lockout affects the entire campus.
Families of Children With Autism Report Specific Incidents
The case carries special weight for families of children with disabilities. One mother reported that her son’s care log, a document used to track the needs of children with autism, was lost by the school. The replacement log contained inaccurate information, she said.
Another mother told reporters her son was left hungry and sitting in a soiled diaper during his first days of class. Both accounts point to what parents describe as a pattern of neglect toward students who require extra attention.
Bureaucratic Barriers to Teacher Accountability
In Mexico’s public education system, union protections and SEP administrative processes often make it difficult to remove or reassign a teacher mid-year. Transfer requests typically follow a rigid calendar tied to the academic cycle, which is why officials cited August as the earliest possible date.
Parents at the Laura Elena Arce Cavazos preschool say that timeline is unacceptable for children already showing signs of emotional distress. The school sits in Tijuana, one of Baja California’s largest cities, where public preschools serve thousands of families across multiple daily sessions.
As of Thursday, the gates remained locked and no resolution had been announced. The story was first reported by Jornada BC.