Some parents are protesting the dismissal of a preschool teacher over her "failure" to remove a pupil's dirty diaper, a U.S. television network reported on Sunday.

Kelly Hahn, who was awarded Preschool Teacher of the Year of St. Louis Public Schools, was fired after she left on the dirty pull-up diaper of a 3-year-old in her class, supposedly a violation of school regulations.

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Hahn immediately called the parent about their child, instead of removing the dirty diaper right away. Another employee at the Wilkinson Early Childhood Center where Hahn works called the Department of Family Services in Missouri.

The incident led to Hahn's dismissal from the classroom three months ago, barely two weeks after she was recognized Teacher of the Year. Hahn told parents she was sacked on charges of child endangerment and neglect.

Parents said their children have returned home from school upset, wondering why their favorite teacher had left. They said some preschoolers even thought the dismissed teacher had cancer.

One parent, Nancy Durante, said it was crazy to decide that a pull-up diaper would be thought of as neglect, adding Hahn deserved to be in the school teaching children, not out fighting to keep her job.

The president of magnet school's Parent Teachers Organization, Dana Evans, said the charges against Hahn are so "ludicrous" because the best teacher in the district was possibly losing her job over a pull-up diaper issue.

Even the mother of the preschooler who wore the pull-up diaper to school, Cynthia West, had defended the teacher. She said what happened was so minor that it could not possibly incriminate a great schoolteacher.

Hahn's hearing on the charges against her is set on March 4.

Tagsparents, dirty diaper, Missouri, preschool teacher, Kelly Hahn, child endangerment, St. Louis Public Schools