A daycare center at a Georgia church allegedly gave Benadryl to toddlers to make them sleepy for nap time, leading to three arrests and an order to cease operations.
The childcare center at Forsyth Methodist Church in the city of Forsyth, about 60 miles south of Atlanta, was issued an emergency closure order Monday by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) after the agency said it found violations that put the children in “imminent danger.”
The order was issued one week after Kendasja Hughley, a teacher at the daycare, was arrested on charges of reckless conduct. Online jail records show she’s also been charged with cruelty to children and simple battery.
The daycare’s director, Cathy Stevick, and a teacher, Shelby Webb, were taken into custody on Tuesday. Stevick was charged with failure to report child abuse, and Webb was charged with simple battery and one count of cruelty to children, the sheriff’s office said.
Attorney information was not available for them.
A person who answered the phone at the church said they could not comment because it is an open criminal investigation.
Hughley allegedly administered Benadryl to three 2-year-old children before nap time on March 2 and March 5 without parental consent, the order states. A staff member told the daycare’s management, but management did not inform the parents of the children and did not discipline Hughley, according to the order.
Management did instruct Hughley to document the use of Benadryl, but did not get the required parental signature on the form. A spokesperson for DECAL said the toddlers were given Children’s Benadryl.
Benadryl is primarily used to treat allergy symptoms and can lead to drowsiness. The Mayo Clinic says over-the-counter cough and cold medicine should not be given to children under 4.
The sheriff’s office said Hughley gave the children the medicine to “make them sleepy for nap time.” Stevick only reported the incident to DECAL after Facebook posts were made about it, authorities said.
The parents reported that their respective children were “sluggish” and “not normal” when they picked them up on multiple days, according to the order. DECAL said it’s not clear how often the children were given the medicine.
Further investigation found that staff members at the daycare would raise their voices at the children “when redirecting them” and routinely wrestle with the 2-year-old children by picking them up and throwing them onto their mats, the order states.
Hughley also has a disciplinary record of past behaviors, including inappropriate discipline.
The agency says the violations “place the health, safety, or welfare of children in imminent danger.” The closure is in effect for 21 days unless it decides to appeal.
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