Post by Mister Big on Jun 9, 2023 5:08:33 GMT -5
Or did the state over-react? Or is there something in the middle that's appropriate?
coloradosun.com/2023/06/06/day-care-child-abuse-pants-pulling-schoolhouse-colorado/
coloradosun.com/2023/06/06/day-care-child-abuse-pants-pulling-schoolhouse-colorado/
Amy Lovato, who helped open The Schoolhouse to fill a child care shortage in Salida and Poncha Springs, stepped out of a preschool classroom to throw in a load of laundry and returned to discover that a 5-year-old boy had tried to pull down a younger classmate’s pants and diaper. Lovato was accused of placing a child in a situation that posed a threat to injury and failure to report child abuse under the time allowed by law.
Lovato began to cry upon hearing the six-person jury found her not guilty of both charges.
If the jury had convicted Lovato, it would mean that toddler play could turn a toddler into a child abuser, Flores-Williams argued.
“You are deciding whether or not one toddler being a toddler playing with other toddlers is now child abuse,”
The child care center was abruptly shut down
All but two of the 14 families whose children were in that classroom later signed a letter asking law officers to drop the charges
Lovato, her attorney said, was a mom trying to help solve the child care crisis in the mountain town and wasn’t going to “run off to authorities” to report a 5-year-old’s actions.
It was neglectful and dangerous for Lovato to leave 15 children ages 3 to 5 alone, even though the children didn’t suffer “bruises or broken bones,” the prosecutor said. Lovato, on cross examination, said she had to leave for three to five minutes to bring a urine-soaked blanket to the laundry. The other teacher was in the bathroom.
As Lovato stood trial at the courthouse in Salida, local county commissioners Tuesday approved a $133,000 grant that will help the child care center reopen.
The following day, the same boy was in the bathroom with two other children. When a teacher opened the door, she saw that one child had her pants pulled down and that child said the boy was touching her butt.
Rodriguez held meetings with both the boy’s parents and the girl’s parents, and made plans to hold an educational session with all the children about appropriate touching
Lovato began to cry upon hearing the six-person jury found her not guilty of both charges.
If the jury had convicted Lovato, it would mean that toddler play could turn a toddler into a child abuser, Flores-Williams argued.
“You are deciding whether or not one toddler being a toddler playing with other toddlers is now child abuse,”
The child care center was abruptly shut down
All but two of the 14 families whose children were in that classroom later signed a letter asking law officers to drop the charges
Lovato, her attorney said, was a mom trying to help solve the child care crisis in the mountain town and wasn’t going to “run off to authorities” to report a 5-year-old’s actions.
It was neglectful and dangerous for Lovato to leave 15 children ages 3 to 5 alone, even though the children didn’t suffer “bruises or broken bones,” the prosecutor said. Lovato, on cross examination, said she had to leave for three to five minutes to bring a urine-soaked blanket to the laundry. The other teacher was in the bathroom.
As Lovato stood trial at the courthouse in Salida, local county commissioners Tuesday approved a $133,000 grant that will help the child care center reopen.
The following day, the same boy was in the bathroom with two other children. When a teacher opened the door, she saw that one child had her pants pulled down and that child said the boy was touching her butt.
Rodriguez held meetings with both the boy’s parents and the girl’s parents, and made plans to hold an educational session with all the children about appropriate touching
