MCPHERSON, KS – A Kansas firefighter and his elementary school teacher girlfriend are facing child abuse charges after allegedly forcing a 4-year-old girl to stand outside in subfreezing temperatures wearing nothing but underwear while they decorated their Christmas tree inside.
Brady Burr, who works for the McPherson Fire Department, and Abby Bradstreet, a second-grade teacher at Washington Elementary who also coaches the girls’ swim team, were arrested on December 11 following an incident that allegedly occurred four days earlier.
According to court documents, the couple’s treatment of the young girl during a visitation went far beyond cruel. Prosecutors say both Burr and Bradstreet struck the child with a cooking spoon and left her outside in temperatures that never climbed above 30 degrees. She had no coat, no shoes – just her underwear.
The girl was reportedly made to watch through the window as the adults decorated the Christmas tree without her.
That wasn’t the only punishment detailed in the charges. Court filings say the couple forced the child to eat her dinner in the bathtub after she had accidents, and left her sitting in wet clothes in a car seat.
When authorities examined the girl, they found bruising on her lower back. Her feet were described as “red, almost purple, and super cold” from exposure to the frigid conditions.
Both Burr and Bradstreet are charged with child abuse and aggravated child endangerment. They’re scheduled to appear in court on January 13, 2026.
The charges have sent shockwaves through McPherson, a small Kansas city where Burr responded to emergencies as a firefighter and Bradstreet spent her days teaching young children. Neither has publicly commented on the allegations.
