Three former employees of a DeKalb County day care pleaded guilty to child abuse charges during a hearing Wednesday morning.
After parents of children who attended the Appletree Learning Center and Academy on East Ponce de Leon Avenue in Stone Mountain made several allegations against the workers, a criminal investigation was opened in June 2022 when one parent reported injuries to her child’s face, according to prosecutors. The case involved 13 victims who ranged in age from 6 months to almost 3 years old.
Alexis Renee Swain, 28, pleaded guilty to 29 counts of first-degree cruelty to children and was sentenced to five years in prison, with another five on probation. Cori Chambers, 21, pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree cruelty to children and was sentenced to 10 years of probation with 120 days of house arrest. Her mother and the director of the day care, Cassandra Artis Chambers, 56, was sentenced to one year of probation and 80 hours of community service after pleading guilty to one count of failure to report suspected child abuse.
Surveillance camera footage at the day care showed that many children were hit, slammed against tables and punished for needing to go to the bathroom. During the hearing, Dr. Emmanuel Pena, child abuse pediatrician at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, spoke to the long-lasting effects that the victims and the parents may face as a result of the abuse.
The children were in a state of flight-or-fight that persisted over time, Pena said. That exposure to stress can “change the architecture of the brain,” Pena added, resulting in behavioral and trust issues, as well as increased anxiety and aggression for many years to come.
“The flight-or-fight response is very useful when you have a bear chasing you,” Pena said. “But if we were to look at the biology of that, the hormones that are released, and the impact of that in the brain, it would be similar (to the day care), just based on the environment.”
During the hearing, several parents spoke through tears about the suffering their children have experienced. All of the parents testified that their kids have shown signs of behavioral issues, including an increased number of meltdowns, profusely apologizing for any bad behavior, and cowering in fear when approached by adults.
Jerrica Green said her son “shuts down and puts his hands up in fear” when he gets in trouble, and Anaya Burston said her daughter has nightmares, which make sleeping alone difficult.
Additionally, many of the parents said potty training has been one of the most difficult hurdles in helping their children recover from the abuse. Burston said her daughter is often afraid to ask to go to the bathroom for fear of retribution.
“You all took away that bonding experience that my baby and I may have had due to the traumatizing interactions she had,” Burston said, through tears.
According to warrants previously obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Swain was accused of causing nine children “cruel and excessive mental or physical pain,” by striking one child with an open hand and slamming one child into a wooden chair.
Cori Chambers did not typically work directly with the children and instead served as a substitute when needed, according to prosecutors. She was not initially charged, but further investigation revealed she had interacted violently with children.
Cassandra Chambers watched surveillance footage of the incidents but failed to report it to authorities.
In addition to their time served on probation and in prison, each of the women is prohibited from working in any type of child care services.
A fourth employee, Cherretta Hull, 78, was charged with 19 counts of cruelty to children in the first degree. Her case is still pending a competency evaluation, and a hearing may be held later this year.
“I wish each child and each family the best, and that they will continue to be strong,” Chief Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson said to the families. “(I hope) that they will thrive and be resilient as you have demonstrated you are by being here today.”
