Four New York daycare workers are facing child abuse charges after authorities say they mistreated toddlers in their care, including one employee who allegedly encouraged a group of children to kick and stomp a 3-year-old boy.
Court documents and a newly filed civil lawsuit identify the workers as employees of the SUNY Cortland Child Care Center in Cortland, N.Y., including the center's director and several classroom staff members.
The four have been charged with several counts of endangering the welfare of a child, based on allegations of both physical and emotional abuse recorded on the center's surveillance cameras, according to criminal complaints obtained by local media. None of the criminal charges have been proven in court, and the accused are presumed innocent, according to People.
Investigators say one staff member, identified in court papers as Aimee Wyatt, allegedly directed children on April 7 to "kick and step on" another child and told them to "do whatever you have to do," an incident that reportedly lasted about three minutes until another worker intervened.
The lawsuit alleges Wyatt, on another occasion, ordered a group of children to attack a 3-year-old and, in a separate incident, yanked a 2-year-old off a toilet after the child urinated on the floor.
Police affidavits describe additional episodes of alleged abuse involving other staff. In February, Wyatt allegedly confined a 3-year-old boy in a bathroom and used her body to block the door, then shoved the toddler to the ground when he tried to get out, according to court papers cited by local outlets.
Surveillance video from April reportedly shows another worker, identified as Kelsi Carlisle, pinning a child to the floor while the child cried and said, "No, don't, it hurts," investigators said, CNY Central reported.
The criminal complaints note that authorities have obtained video and audio evidence documenting a pattern of physical and verbal mistreatment of several children over a period of months.
A separate $10 million lawsuit filed against the state of New York claims officials failed to protect children at the state-affiliated center despite what the filing describes as serious safety and supervision lapses.
SUNY Cortland and the child care center have not publicly detailed the reasons for the arrests, and officials have declined to discuss the case beyond confirming that the workers were removed from contact with children while investigations continue, as per Syracuse.
