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A mother in Texas, Janese Milivojevic, has filed a lawsuit against The Children’s Courtyard, alleging that caregivers at the day care center subjected her 18-month-old daughter to abusive treatment. The lawsuit claims that on May 18, 2023, while Milivojevic was monitoring a live surveillance feed of the South Austin facility, she witnessed an employee aggressively handle, swing, and drop her daughter onto a nap mat. The disturbing incident was captured on video, showing the child being yanked by the arms, swung, and ultimately dropped onto the mat.
According to court documents, the employee involved did not check on the child or ensure her safety after the incident, and later aggressively grabbed and tossed her onto another child lying nearby. The lawsuit further details another incident captured on video where a different child was mistreated in a similar manner by a different teacher at the center. Milivojevic promptly removed her daughter from the day care and reported the misconduct to management, but the employees involved were not terminated, and the incident was not reported to the authorities.
Despite reassurances from the Children’s Courtyard management that corrective actions had been taken, a subsequent incident involving the same employee mistreating a child in July raised further concerns. Only after state intervention and investigation did the center terminate the employee. The lawsuit also points to a history of citations against The Children’s Courtyard by the state of Texas for failing to ensure minimum safety standards are met. An independent investigation by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child Care Licensing division is currently ongoing in response to these allegations.
This lawsuit adds to the legal troubles faced by The Children’s Courtyard, with a separate mother having previously sued the center for another incident involving an employee allegedly smothering her 2-year-old son with a blanket and slapping him during nap time. The lawsuits highlight the seriousness of the allegations of neglect and abuse at the day care center, raising concerns about the safety and well-being of children under its care.
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