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Compliance Inspector (CI) Jessica Graham investigated the allegation that on March 21, 2024, children in the two classrooms were left unsupervised while staff attended a meeting in the school age classroom. This allegation is substantiated based on the following rule violation:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)5. which states: "A caregiver shall remain in the room with preschool and school-age children while they are napping or sleeping and shall be able to see and hear them if they have difficulty during napping or when they awaken."
On April 4, 2024, caregivers Christina Paisley, Rachael Niermann, Rachel Boatman, Meaghan Fuller, Myah Paisley and Danielle Bergmann stated they were working on March 21, 2024, and were present during the meeting. Christina said that she gathered everyone together to talk about staff appearing stressed recently. They met in the open area between the classrooms during nap time to watch a short video. Someone covered in the 2-year-old classroom and the other teachers stood in their classroom doorways. The meeting was maybe 10 minutes long.
Rachel Boatman stated that all the teachers were in the meeting and stood in the doorways of the classrooms while they talked. The meeting was maybe 15 minutes long. The Fire Marshall came during their meeting and Christina talked with him.
Rachael Neirmann stated that she stood in her classroom doorway during the meeting. All her children were napping. She said that Meaghan was standing in her classroom doorway across the hall during the meeting.
Meaghan was in the younger 3-year-old classroom and she stood in her doorway during the meeting. she stated that all the the children in the room were asleep except for two or three. She stated that the door was never closed and she stood there the entire time holding the door open with her foot. The TV they watched was mounted and could swivel so they could see it from the doorway.
Myah Paisley was in the 2-year-old classroom and Danielle Bergmann came in to cover for her to go to the meeting. She stated that the other teachers had their doors propped open and they were standing in the doorway. She stated that none of the classrooms were ever unsupervised.
While CI Graham was conducting the investigation at Little Miracles Learning Center, CI Spencer showed CI Graham photos she received from Fire Marshall Brandon Houser. The photo showed a group of caregivers around a table located in the school age classroom. In the photo there are six adults sitting on chairs or on the table. One classroom door is in view on the photo (white) that is closed. This classroom does not currently house children and would have been empty. A purple door is seen in the photo and this door appears closed. There is no caregiver standing in the doorway of this classroom. One other classroom that had children in it was not within view on the photo.
After seeing the photos and addressing them with caregivers, Rachael Neirmann and Meghan Fuller stated that they were told to say that they were standing in their doorways during the meeting by a text from Christina. They said they were not standing in their doorways but were sitting at the table in the middle of the open room during the meeting.
CI Graham viewed the text message from Christina to the caregivers and it stated:
Chrissi:
"Ok, state is there to investigate when the fire Marshall was there and we had a staff meeting"
"So, I told her that you all were in your doorways during nap, and we just talked in the school age room."
"And Jaylah took Myah's spot"
"Just an fyi"
"We kept it short and sweet, just went over ways to handle stress in the classroom"
"Just kidding, Dani..Myah's spot for the meeting, not Jaylah"
CI Graham asked Christina about the text message and she stated that she never told the caregivers to lie about standing in their doorways.
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