A Kentucky daycare riddled with child abuse allegations and accusations of a correlated cover-up has resulted in several arrests.
Lex18 reported that on Friday morning, the owners, Theodrick Hersey, 55, and Jessica Houk, 43, along with Houk’s sister and daycare employee Brooklyn Houk, 22, of A Step Ahead Daycare and The Kid’s Club Childcare Center in Richmond, were released on $1,500 bond each after being arrested on child abuse charges.
The investigation into the childcare facility began in March after Elizabeth Thomas, another employee, was arrested and charged with child abuse. Thomas is accused of withholding specific foods from a child who needed a specialized diet due to a health issue, according to WKYT.
Thomas had previously been written up in March 2023 for hitting a child. The daycare did not report the abuse as required. The daycare’s lack of follow-through regarding Thomas’s previous misconduct is believed to have led to the abuse of five more children.
The police citation stated that the recently accused “knew of the conduct of the employee” but “allowed her to remain employed, thereby intentionally causing five additional children to be abused by that worker.” The citation further indicated that the workers “knew of child abuse and neglect in their daycare centers,” Lex18 reported.
WKYT stated that evidence was found showing one child was strangled, an employee punched another child, and a parent expressed concerns about possible sexual abuse, none of which was reported by the facility.
There was also evidence that the facility not only failed to report an incident involving a child leaving the building unsupervised and nearly accessing a major roadway, but it also advised employees to lie to investigators.
The citation noted that there were “text messages” in which they “can be seen telling employees to lie to state investigators about a child getting out of their daycare center undetected and almost accessing a major roadway.”
Lex18 found that Hersey is also an employee at Fayette County Public Schools. He has been placed on administrative leave due to the investigation, according to FCPS.
WKYT reported that Thomas also worked in the transportation department at Madison County Schools and is currently on suspension.
Hersey and the Houk sisters have been charged with child abuse, failure to report abuse, and knowingly obstructing an investigation.
Thomas faces three counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child aged 12 or under and one count of fourth-degree assault (child abuse).
[Feature Photo:Theodrick Hersey, Jessica Houk, and Brooklyn Houk/Police Handout]
