Nursery teacher who 'turned classroom into baby fight club' found guilty of abuse

A nursery school teacher who turned her classroom into a "baby fight club" is facing decades in prison after being found guilty of 13 criminal charges, including assault and child cruelty.

The court heard that Sarah Jordan, 31, who worked at Minnieland Academy in Woodbridge, Virginia, had encouraged toddlers to fight each other.

It was said she stepped on their toes, tripped them up and used a hose to spray water in their faces.

Lawyer Ashleigh Landers, summing up for the prosecution, said that the atmosphere Jordan has creared was "almost creating like a baby fight club" and had done huge damage to the children's psyches.

Jordan denied the claims, saying she had used a hose to sprinkle water on the children on some occasions but had never tried to hurt anyone.

She said the allegations could have been sparked by workplace disputes.

During the trial some parents testified that their children had become fearful of water.

Some said their children had become aggressive and had begun to act in ways similar to the abuse described, such as stepping on others' feet and slapping others.

One father said his son, who was under Jordan's care, had been made to fight other children.

Three co-workers at the school testified against Jordan.

Jordan was charged alongside a colleague, Kierra Spriggs, who faces a separate trial.

The allegations against the pair originally surfaced in 2013.