A church daycare center in Georgia was temporarily shut down after a teacher was arrested for allegedly giving toddlers Benadryl to “make them sleepy for their nap time.”
The daycare at Forsyth Methodist Church was temporarily shuttered by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning on Monday (March 31) for placing “the health, safety, and welfare of children in imminent danger,” The Independent reported.
The childcare agency’s order came one week after Kendasja Hughley, a teacher at the daycare center, was arrested on charges of reckless conduct.
According to police reports, Hughley administered Benadryl—which is advised not to be given to kids under the age of 6 without the consent of a doctor—to three 2-year-old toddlers on March 6 before lunchtime so they would be sleepy at nap time.
Online jail records also show that she was charged with six counts of cruelty to children in the first degree and eight counts of simple battery.
The daycare’s director, Cathy Stevick, and a teacher, Shelby Webb, were arrested Tuesday (April 1).
Stevick was charged with three counts of failure to report child abuse, while Webb was charged with simple battery and one count of cruelty to children, per police reports.
A staff member reportedly informed the daycare center’s management about Hughley’s misconduct, but the managers did not inform the kids’ parents and did nothing to discipline Hughley, according to the order.
Parents reported their toddlers seemed “sluggish” and “not normal” when they picked them up on multiple occasions, the childcare agency’s order said.
Further investigation found that staff members at the daycare center would raise their voices at the kids “when redirecting them” and repeatedly wrestled with the 2-year-old children by picking them up and throwing them onto their mats.
Hughley also had a myriad of disciplinary issues, including inappropriate discipline.
The agency says the closure will be in effect for 21 days unless the daycare center decides to appeal.
