Judge dismisses charges against child care worker
By Melody Brown-Peyton
Published in News on June 11, 2018 5:50 AM
A District Court judge dismissed charges against a former child care worker accused of abuse at the Goldsboro Family YMCA.
Judge Charles Gaylor, who reviewed video footage of the employee interacting with a 2-year-old child, in February, dismissed a charge of misdemeanor child abuse against Joshelyn Parker, who was employed by the YMCA at the time of the alleged incident.
Parker's child care license was suspended and her job terminated, as YMCA executives cooperated with authorities.
Parker said she is innocent.
"I did not do anything to this child," Parker said in a prepared statement. "Had the video been looked at to begin with, this situation would have never happened. The video showed the truth."
"I attended Wayne Community College and worked very hard to receive my early childhood degree. I love children. I never thought something like this would happen."
The parent of the 2-year-old child filed a complaint against Parker in February. The complaint states that the parent noticed scratches on the child's neck and throat when the child was picked up on Feb. 5.
The mother of the child declined to be interviewed.
The complaint also states that the child began coming home with bruises and cuts shortly after Parker was hired, according to a Goldsboro police report.
Parker's attorney Darrell Brown obtained video footage from the Goldsboro Family YMCA, which led to Gaylor's ruling in the case.
The video shows the child going into the gym alone and sitting under a piece of furniture. The video then shows Parker taking the child back to the classroom.
In the short walk back, the child stops four times and sits on the floor. Parker then lifts the child to his feet with her hands under his arms.
Finally, after the child sits down for the fourth time, Parker carries him into the classroom with her hands on his upper torso.
After arriving in the classroom, the child tries to leave, and Parker uses her body to block the door.
After reviewing the video, Gaylor dismissed the charges.
"We are thankful that the justice process played out and there was no negligence," said John Richards, Goldsboro Family YMCA chief executive officer.
Richards declined to say if Parker would be hired again, citing the decision as a personnel matter.
State officials confirm that Parker was prequalified as a child care provider on May 30.
"She is qualified to work in a child care program," said Jim Jones, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman.
Since 1984, the Goldsboro Family YMCA has sought to provide the community with a safe environment. The mission of the YMCA is to promote healthy living that ensures that every individual has access to the essentials needed to learn, grow and thrive.
The child care center at the YMCA has a state rating of three out of five stars.