Wednesday, May 30, 2001
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Wednesday, May 30, 2001 |
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Sentencing set today in day care spanking By JOHN
MUNFORD
Kristi Parrish thought her daughter was lying about being spanked in day care the afternoon of Nov. 27. Moments before, the director of Early Stages Academy and Daycare had told Parrish about the 8-year-old's misbehavior that day. Simone Reddick also denied the spanking occurred, and Parrish planned to spank Kellsey herself when they got home, although she never followed through on the threat. Last week, two State Court juries found the employee, Jeanette Brown, guilty of spanking the child and Reddick guilty of attempting to cover up the spanking. The two could face further charges of perjury, after denying on the stand that the spanking took place. Three other witnesses who worked at the center testified they could hear the "pop" of the spanking throughout the facility. State Court Judge Fletcher Sams said he would consider bringing the perjury charges against Reddick and Brown. Sams put off sentencing the two, scheduling the matter for first thing this morning (the outcome will be posted at www.thecitizennews.com after the hearing is concluded). "I really felt guilty," Parrish said of her first inclination to spank Kellsey for lying. "But when you have a really convincing adult, you're going to believe that person over a child." Parrish didn't investigate the matter thoroughly until an employee of the center approached her in the parking lot three days later. Melody Clark told her, "I think you need to look into this a little more," she said. Soon after, Sgt. Renee James of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department began her investigation after Parrish presented the information to Magistrate Court Judge A.K. Melear. State Court Solicitor-General Steve Harris said he prosecuted the cases because of the attempted cover-up, even though there were no alleged physical injuries to the child due to the spanking. "Normally, if I think it's a reasonable exercise of corporal punishment, I won't prosecute," Harris said. Several employees of the center testified that Reddick intimidated them into writing statements that Brown did not spank the 8-year-old victim, Harris said. When Reddick was originally questioned by James, she said she had no knowledge of the spanking incident, Harris said. State child care regulations forbid day care workers from using any form of corporal punishment on children in their care. In December, the Child Care Licensing Division of the Department of Human Resources informed Reddick that she was not allowed to enter the facility when children were present. An acting director was originally appointed, but the center was later closed permanently. Reddick was found not guilty of an additional charge of simple battery for allegations that she grabbed the child by the arm and pulled her down the hall. Parrish said she thought justice had been served by the convictions handed down by the jury. "I think Steve [Harris] did a real good job," she said.
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