Toddlers physically harmed at Lexington center. Daycare teachers, director charged.

Four daycare employees have been charged with criminal abuse after there was “physical harm to toddlers,” Lexington police said.

Samantha Ayers, 32, Maurisa Sweat, 24, and Jazzmine Webb, 20, were each charged with first-degree criminal abuse of a child while Terri Thompson, 40, was charged with second-degree criminal abuse and failure to report abuse, according to police spokeswoman Brenna Angel. All were booked into the Fayette County jail Wednesday, according to jail records.

Thompson was the director of the Eagle Creek Learning Academy on Eagle Creek Drive, and Ayers, Sweat and Webb taught 1-year-olds.

All four were fired before they were charged, according to the Learning Academy.

Multiple instances of “daycare staff treating children in a physical and unsafe manner” were found after an investigation by Lexington police and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, police said. The investigation started after the family of a child reported bruising.

Video cameras are installed at the center in case they are necessary, and “the video is now being used against” the workers, a statement from the Learning Academy said.

“Although it is difficult to prevent the criminal actions of an employee with malicious intent at the time of the action, we can and have and will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that the perpetrators receive justice,” the center said.

After a parent reported a child had bruises on an arm on Jan. 7, the teachers and director were terminated for not reporting it to the “owners or licensing immediately,” the center said. The center found the teacher was mishandling the children in the classroom that day, and the owners worked closely with the police and state to assist in the investigation.

“We have processes (including background checks) and procedures in place to mitigate the risk of something like this from happening,” the center said. “Additionally, we have 2 teachers in the room so that the integrity of one serves as a backstop against the bad intentions of another. And if the integrity of both are compromised, we have cameras so that the ‘eye in the sky’ will always be there to remind teachers that their actions are being watched. The video also serves to remind them that if they do transgress, there will be video evidence of it.”

This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 5:22 PM.