Family sues U.S. government over alleged child abuse at a Robins Air Force Base daycare
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The family of a child who was allegedly physically abused at a daycare center on Robins Air Force Base is suing the U.S. government, according to court records.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court Monday, alleges two workers at the daycare center, Zhanay Kiana Flynn and Antanesha Mone Fritz, “struck a minor in the face; caused the minor children to fight with and strike one another; sprayed the minor children about the head and face with cleaning solution; seizing, shaking and threatening to strike the minor children; stepped on and applied weight to the legs of the minor children,” and more.
It also says Latona Mae Lambert, the director and administrator of the daycare, repeatedly failed to report multiple incidents and claims of alleged child abuse in the facility.
The lawsuit alleges the incidents occurred in 2021.
The lawsuit alleges the U.S government failed “to remove the assailants; to monitor surveillance; to document prior concerns and reports of ongoing child abuse; to take reasonable steps to make itself aware of the ongoing abuse being perpetrated on its premises; knowingly violating its own policies, protocols, and procedures which were designed in whole or in part to prevent or deter child abuse of the kind suffered by plaintiffs in its daycare.”
The family sued after submitting a claim in March 2023 with the Air Force about the alleged abuse. Those claims were denied months later, according to the lawsuit.
The Air Force declined to comment on ongoing legal matters.
“However, we can say that properly caring for our Airmen and their families is of utmost importance,” a Robins Air Force Base spokesperson said in a statement to The Telegraph. “Our Airmen should have confidence in the care provided at our Child Development Center. We have fully supported this investigation and will continue to support the legal process. We have also reviewed our processes to ensure the appropriate measures are in place to safeguard our children.”
The family is seeking a trial, a judgment for the general damages and other relief deemed necessary by the court.
Flynn, Fritz and Lambert face criminal charges over the incidents, according to local court records. Flynn and Fritz were charged with second-degree cruelty to children. Lambert was charged with being an accessory after the fact, making false statements and failure to report child abuse. They were charged in 2022. They have all pleaded not guilty, with Lambert’s case going to trial this week.
Lambert’s attorney, Jennifer Curry, filed a motion to dismiss the case, alleging that a superseding indictment filed against Lambert was vague and could jeopardize her trial. Her request was denied.
The three accused of the offenses are not defendants in the lawsuit, despite being named in the case. The anonymous family is only suing the U.S. government.
The family and the victim filed the lawsuit anonymously through attorneys Ashley Cameron and Dustin Hamilton of Dozier Law Firm.
A lawsuit only represents one side of a legal argument. Attorneys for the United States haven’t yet filed a legal reply, and no actions have been taken in court regarding the accusations.
