Target

My 17 year old daughter was in the restroom and heard a lady come into the restroom with her toddler daughter screaming and yelling at the daughter. The lady told her daughter that if she didn't go to the bathroom she was going to kill her. She continued screaming at the toddler who was screaming and crying. She told her daughter she was going to put the daughter's head in the toilet if she didn't go to the bathroom.
The lady screamed again at her daughter that if she "peed her pants in the store she was going to rub her nose in it!" My daughter was extremely shaken and crying end reported it to the manager- Valerie who went into the bathroom. My daughter called me from her cell phone immediately after reporting it to the manager and I called the manager to make sure she called the police and reported the child abuse. Valerie told me she couldn't call the police because if Target's Corporate headquarters regulations as she didn't witness the abuse herself. I asked if she could give me a description of the lady and her daughter and she said she was not allowed to do that either ! I am a retired Social Worker with DSHS. My daughter left the bathroom and did not see tge lady and her daughter come out. I am appalled that your corporation would not report this! I know there is a security camera right outside the restroom that you could have looked at. I also know reporting suspected child abuse us not investigating child abuse and your corporation would not be sued by the customer if the police and/or Child Protective Services investigated this lady. If this is how this lady treats her child in public imagine what happens to this child in private! Each year hundreds if not thousands of children die fro. child abuse each year. The most vulnerable children are under 5 who are not in school or daycare where teachers and staff are mandatory reporters. It is a public health issue and I can't believe Target would have a corporate policy that prevents a manager from reporting this crime. Target is everywhere and I am so proud of how your corporation supports schools and communities. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to encourage reporting of child abuse. Make a press release of it and you could encourage other large corporations to follow this policy. It is probably too late for this little girl but I would like to help write a new corporate policy for reporting child abuse.

Please call me at [protected] as soon as possible. My name is Linda Cook.