Former employee of Vanguard Academy daycare indicted on child abuse charges
A grand jury on Wednesday indicted a former daycare employee accused of abusing children at the Vanguard Academy in Norton Commons.
Racheal Flannery was charged with 10 counts of criminal abuse by the Jefferson County Circuit Court following her arrest in September. The abuse is alleged to have occurred at the daycare center, located in northeast Jefferson County, between Sept. 21 and 28.
Background: Louisville-area daycare closed indefinitely by state amid investigation over abuse claims
Flannery "intentionally" abused or permitted "another person of whom she has actual custody, to be, abused" causing "serious physical injury" or "causing torture, cruel confinement, or cruel punishment" to 10 children under the age of 12, according to court documents.
Court documents state that a video from the daycare shows Flannery abusing a child by "shoving" a bottle in its mouth and squeezing the child's head into her chest, before dropping the child at one point and "aggressively" placing the child in a crib.
Flannery previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to court records.
Included in the grand jury's list of indictments is L.R., the child of Ryan and Hayley Russell, who court documents said was 7 months old at the time of the alleged abuse. The Russells, along with William and Hannah Coy, filed a civil lawsuit against Vanguard Academy and its owners this year alleging employees were told to "keep quiet" about abuse or they could be fired.
Vanguard sent out an email saying that Flannery is on "indefinite leave of absence" in the aftermath of the arrest, according to the lawsuit.
Claims made in a lawsuit represent only one side of a case. A response filed in November by by Flannery's attorney said she denied or is without knowledge of most allegations contained in the lawsuit and called for it to be dismissed with prejudice.
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The daycare was closed indefinitely in November when the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Office of Inspector General issued an "emergency suspension" of the facility.
A staff member who answered the phone in November at the daycare said it had no comment on the ongoing investigation.
Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Ex-Vanguard Academy daycare worker indicted on child abuse charges
