A daycare worker in Ohio is facing serious charges after a mother says her 4-year-old daughter came home injured—and the explanation just didn’t add up.
Mary Stewart, 48, has been charged with felonious assault and child endangerment, according to court records. The charges stem from a May incident at a Willowick-area daycare, where Stewart allegedly caused a severe injury to a child in her care.
The child’s mother, Alexis Higham, told WJW-TV that she got a call from the daycare claiming her daughter had simply “tripped and fallen over a cot.” But her daughter told a very different—and much more disturbing—version of events.
“She said a lady grabbed her by the arm and threw her on the cot,” Higham recalled. “When I went to pick her up, you could tell that she was really hurt.”
X-rays confirmed that the little girl had a broken clavicle. Higham says they spent five hours in the emergency room.
The daycare, which has not been publicly named, reportedly did not have working security cameras inside at the time of the incident. Willowick police launched an investigation in June, ultimately leading to criminal charges against Stewart.
Stewart has pleaded not guilty. Her case is now in the hands of the Lake County Grand Jury, which will decide whether or not to indict.
Higham is also taking civil action. She has filed a lawsuit in Lake County Common Pleas Court against both Stewart and the daycare, accusing them of negligence and failing to ensure children’s safety.
“I wanted to speak out because just staying silent only protects the abusers,” Higham told WJW-TV.
Her attorney, Marco Bocciarelli, says the case points to a larger problem.
“It’s important that we make sure these facilities are learning a lesson—not just the individuals working there,” he said. “I think it’s a systemic issue that we have to deal with.”
As the criminal and civil cases move forward, the little girl is no longer enrolled at the daycare.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 or visit www.childhelp.org. The hotline is free, confidential, and available 24/7 in over 170 languages.
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