KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — A lawsuit has been filed against Cross Lanes Child Care and Learning Center after a woman was accused of spitting on a child and hitting two others.
This was announced at a press conference on Monday afternoon. This press conference had eight families which make up half of the class that Amber Seiler taught at the facility.
Cross Lanes childcare center closed following misconduct allegations The suit was filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court and was assigned to Judge Jennifer Bailey.
The lawsuit said the plaintiff is the legal guardian of a child in Amber Seiler’s classroom. Seiler has been charged with two battery counts, and one count of assault and battery of a disabled child, which is a felony. Two of the children represented in this lawsuit represent two of the three criminal counts against her.
The defendants are Seiler, Dreamland Development, LLC doing business as Cross Lanes Child Care and Learning Center, and Amy Williams, the director of the facility, according to the suit. Williams has not been charged with a crime.
The suit alleges that audio was recorded of Amber Seiler, 29, yelling and screaming at the children in her classroom.
The lawsuit alleges that Seiler yelled at the plaintiff’s child and then the sound of spitting was heard. She allegedly asked the child if they liked being spit on, and when they said no, Seiler allegedly said, “Then don’t spit.”
According to the suit, you could allegedly hear a worker say, “Yeah, she started her spitting.”
The lawsuit said that the child was allegedly made to pull their pants and underwear down so that Seiler could spank them.
When employees went to report the alleged abuse, Williams allegedly “responded with intimidation tactics or outright dismissal of the allegations,” according to the lawsuit. She would also allegedly threaten to terminate them.
The lawsuit alleges that Williams terminated employees for reporting alleged abuse and enforced a “no phone policy.”
This all comes after Amber Seiler , 29, who told a magistrate she now lives in Poca, turned herself in on Oct. 25. She is facing two battery charges, and one count of assault and battery of a disabled child, which is a felony.
Seiler is an employee at the Cross Lanes Child Care and Learning Center, according to deputies.
Two days after this on Oct. 27, it was announced that the childcare facility would be closed while it is under investigation, according to the West Virginia Department of Human Services.
The DoHS said preliminary findings by the Bureau of Social Services found evidence of physical and psychological punishment of children and “failure to meet mandatory reporting and supervisory standards.”
They said they put the childcare facility on a provisional license and “reduced the facility’s capacity to zero.” Cynthia Persily, Secretary of the West Virginia DoHS, said this means the center will not be able to “serve families or children while it’s under investigation.”
According to the DoHS, the facility can appeal this decision.
13 News spoke with parents who are voicing their concerns following all of this. Bethany Bird’s daughter attended Cross Lanes Child Care and Learning Center up until Friday when she was informed of the alleged abuse.
“My daughter is autistic, so I think I thought a lot of her nervousness going in in the morning was just from being overstimulated. I would have never thought it was anything like this,” said Bird.
She said her daughter is limited in her ability to communicate and that staff should be able to advocate for her. After finding out about the alleged abuse, she fears they have failed her and others.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOWK 13 News.
Local News