Jeff Lewis‘ daughter just started at a new preschool, but according to her dad, she’s already having some issues with her classmates.
On Tuesday’s episode of his SiriusXM radio show, Jeff Lewis Live, Lewis, 49, told listeners that his daughter Monroe Christine, 3, was bullied by another little girl at school last week.
The former Flipping Out star explained that the incident between the 3-year-olds happened on Friday while they were on the playground, but that he wasn’t notified about it until he went to pick up Monroe after school.
“When I first got there, the teacher came up to me and said, ‘I just need to talk to you for a minute,’” Lewis recalled. “I’m like, ‘Oh s—, I’m in trouble,’ and when I realized that I wasn’t in trouble, then I was worried that Monroe was in trouble.”
“But apparently there was a scuffle on the playground and Monroe was pushed — she was pushed down and she fell down — by another probably very masculine female,” he continued.
Lewis, who shares Monroe with ex Gage Edward, said her teachers explained what happened, noting how Monroe “scraped her hand” from the fall and required an ice pack, and ensured that they addressed it with the girl and it wouldn’t happen again.
“She’s kinda a drama queen so at home, even if she bumps against the kitchen cabinet, she has to have an ice pack,” Lewis joked. “So they said we had to get an ice pack because I am certain that she requested one… she did cry and we told her it was okay to cry.”
After asking Monroe what happened in the car and recalling how she said, “That girl’s a bad girl, Dada,” the father of one revealed what he told his daughter if this were to happen again.
“I said, ‘Look, from what I understand Monroe, the teacher talked to this bad girl and she is not going to push you down again. However, if she pushes you again, you need to push her back,’” he shared.
“I’m sorry, but when you’re dealing with a 3-year-old bully… you’re supposed to tell the teacher. Well, she told the teacher and the kid — they didn’t punish the kid — but she has been warned,” he continued.
“I don’t know if you agree,” Lewis went on to his co-host Doug Budin and guest Cheri Oteri. “But look, if she does it again, I think you need to push her back.”
Jeff Lewis, Monroe, and Gage EdwardJEFF LEWIS/INSTAGRAM
This isn’t the first issue that Lewis has encountered with his daughter’s preschool.
In September, Monroe was expelled from the prestigious Montessori preschool she had been attending after Lewis made negative comments about the elite institution and the parents of some of its students on his radio show.
Lewis claimed that the decision to expel Monroe was made by administrators after they received complaints about him reading two internal emails from parents on-air and mocking them (without using their full names), as well as criticizing a “Back to School Night” for parents.
“Apparently I’ve mentioned a few things about the school on-air,” Lewis said, later apologizing about his words. “I take full responsibility. … I am really, really sorry. I feel terrible about what happened. I know how it has affected Monroe. I will never do this again.”
The famous house flipper said that he appealed to the Montessori school’s headmistress to fight his daughter’s expulsion, apologizing and asking for a second chance. The school was apparently unwavering in their decision, leaving the outspoken star feeling frustrated.
“The conversation lasted 20 minutes. For the first 12-13 minutes I groveled, and then when I realized there was no hope, it got a bit contentious,” Lewis recalled in a recent episode. “I said, ‘I cannot believe this is the Montessori way!’ You don’t get to make amends. There are no second chances, no warnings — nothing. It was immediately, ‘They’re expelled.’”
At the time, the school did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Weeks later, Lewis revealed on his radio talk show that he had enrolled Monroe in a new preschool after allegedly making a donation.
Jeff Lewis and MonroeJEFF LEWIS/INSTAGRAM
The preschool drama comes amid a custody dispute over Monroe between Lewis and Edward, who split in January after dating for 10 years.
The Bravo alums have been involved in a tense back and forth as they work out a permanent, legal custody agreement. As of last month, the two were no longer engaging in any friendly communication with one another, though Lewis said they would make an exception for Monroe’s third birthday.
A formal custody deal between Lewis and Edward has yet to be finalized. Currently, the two are trying out a “2-3-3 schedule” that sees the exes transferring Monroe between them every few days.