An early childhood centre manager has had her teacher’s registration cancelled for force-feeding toddlers, making racist remarks and rough handling children in her care.

Sonya Kay Costello, who was a registered teacher in Whangārei, faced charges of serious misconduct at the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal for incidents that spanned several years.

There were 11 specific incidents the tribunal heard which fell into the categories of inappropriate use of force, inappropriate comments and force-feeding incidents.

One teacher at the centre recalled a conversation where Costello said a Māori child at the centre was “thick” and continued by saying, “this is what happens when your people are raped and pillaged”.

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There were multiple incidents where staff at the centre recalled Costello force-feeding young children, including her trying to push a spoon of food into toddler’s mouth and her “roughly” feeding another toddler broccoli.

In that instance, the 2-year-old child cried and coughed up a mouthful of the chewed broccoli.

Teachers at the centre also witnessed Costello “roughly” dropping a toddler, holding another down to get them to go to sleep and calling a child “pathetic” for crying.

She called other children a “sookie” and “dumb”, they said.

The tribunal noted the number of witnesses to Costello’s misconduct and said they all “presented with a pattern of very similar conduct and behaviour over several years”.

“Either multiple, professional teaching staff have conspired and colluded to bring these allegations, which would be extraordinarily coincidental or bad luck – or, the allegations are true.

“Given the breadth of allegations, similarity and lack of motive to lie by witnesses, we have no hesitation in finding all particulars proven on the balance of probabilities.”

Costello did not appear at the hearing and the tribunal said there had been a “lack of engagement” with the process from her.

The tribunal cancelled Costello’s teaching registration and censure, which is a formal statement of disapproval.