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On July 25, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that on July 24, 2025, Williams Academy LLC was at White Birch Bay Aquatic Center. The owner of the school grabbed an unknown child by the back of the child's neck and arm, and held the child facing downward, forcing the child to walk. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Patrick O'Malley found the allegation to be substantiated based on the following information.
5 CSR 25-500.102 (1)(E) states: "Caregivers shall have knowledge of the needs of children and shall be sensitive to the capabilities, interests, and problems of children in care."
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5 CSR 25-500.182 (1)(C)3. states: "Only constructive, age-appropriate methods of discipline shall be used to help children develop self-control and assume responsibility for their own actions."
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5 CSR 25-500.182 (1)(C)7. states: "Physical punishment including, but not limited to, spanking, slapping, shaking, biting, or pulling hair shall be prohibited.'
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5 CSR 25-500.182 (1)(C)8. states: "No discipline technique which is humiliating, threatening, or frightening to children shall be used. Children shall not be shamed, ridiculed, or spoken to harshly, abusively, or with profanity."
On July 25, 2025, White Birch Bay Aquatic Center director Jeff Knowles stated that on July 24, 2025, a group from Williams Academy LLC arrived at White Birch and at approximately 3:00 p.m., they lined up near the sign-in desk. An adult man (later determined to be David Williams) was yelling at a child about losing his things. The child was upset, crying, and yelling that he did not want to leave. The adult man grabbed the child with one hand to the child's neck and the other hand to one of the child's forearms. The adult man pushed the child's head down and marched the child out of the front door. He (Mr. Knowles) followed the adult man, yelling to let the child go and that his treatment was unacceptable. After they got outside, the adult man let go of the child, and the child sat down on the grass in front of the building. The adult man yelled at him that the situation was none of his business and offered to leave the child at White Birch, and the child could be the water park's problem.
On July 25, 2025, CI O'Malley observed video footage dated July 24, 2025, to include the following information:
-The footage begins at 3:05:00 p.m. and does not contain audio.
-Child A enters from the right of frame at 3:05:03 p.m.
-David enters from the right of frame at 3:05:09 p.m.
-At 3:05:23 p.m., David grabs Child A by the back of the neck with David's right hand.
-David grabs Child A by the left wrist with David's left hand.
-David and Child A both move towards the door at the top of the frame.
-David is walking upright, and Child A is walking with his head pushed down and forward by David's hand.
-Child A's left arm is held by David in an upwards and backwards angle as they walk.
-David and Child A exit through the door at 3:05:29 p.m., David is still holding Child A by the neck and left arm.
-The footage ends at 3:05:43 p.m.
On July 25, 2025, LLC member David Williams stated that he was the adult man who physically removed Child A from the White Birch Bay Aquatic Center on the afternoon of July 24, 2025. Child A did not want to leave the water park and got back in the pool after lunch. He met the group in the front of the building, where Child A was throwing a tantrum. Child A was screaming, crying, and did not want to leave the water park. He grasped the back of Child A's neck with his right hand and grasped Child A's left wrist with his left hand. He did not squeeze Child A's neck or wrist and did not hurt Child A in any way. He knows martial arts and knows that where the head goes, the body would follow. He let go of Child A's neck when they arrived at the vans, which were both parked directly in front of the building. [CI O'Malley asked how the situation could have been prevented or handled differently with a child that is having behavior issues.] He (David) would not have done anything differently. He knows martial arts and knows how to restrain a person without hurting them.
On July 25, 2025, caregiver Kiyrah Sykes stated that Child A refused to get out of the pool at the water park on July 24, 2025. Child A reluctantly walked to the exit where the rest of the group was lined up. Child A refused to put on his shirt or shoes and threw a tantrum. Child A cried and stomped his feet and refused to leave the water park. David tried to talk Child A into walking to the van, but Child A still refused. David grabbed Child A by the neck and forearm and walked Child A out of the water park. She did not think that David hurt Child A but she never checked Child A for injuries.
On July 25, 2025, Child A (7-years-old) stated that David grabbed him by the neck and left arm. It really hurt when David grabbed him. David squeezed his neck and arm. David squeezed his neck so hard that he could not breathe. He told David that it hurt, but David said he did not care.
On August 4, 2025, caregiver Gabrielle "Gabby" McCain stated that she attended the trip to the water park on July 24, 2025. Child A refused to leave the pool after the group ate lunch in the afternoon. Child A walked with her to the front of the building and then stopped, refusing to exit. David attempted to talk Child A into leaving the water park, but Child A cried and still refused to leave. David grasped Child A by the back of the neck and left forearm. Child A struggled but did not appear to be hurt. David's actions did not appear inappropriate; however, she did not check Child A for injuries.
Through the course of the investigation, OOC became aware of additional disciplinary violations.
On August 4, 2025, Child B (7-years-old) stated that once, when he was in trouble, he was sent to David's office for time out. When that happened, David spread out several colored rulers in front of him and told him to pick one. He picked one and then David slapped that ruler against his palm. Then, David said he (Child B) should not be sent to the office again.
On August 6, 2025, Child A (7-years-old) stated that if he gets in trouble at Williams Academy, he has to go to David's office. When he is in trouble, David flicks him on the hands. [Child A demonstrated on CI Hughes' hand. Child A used his thumb and middle finger to flick CI Hughes' with his two fingers.] When he is in trouble, David tells him to choose his color of ruler; blue, yellow or orange and David says, "Which one do you want to get hit with?" David hit him on the leg once with a ruler. The rulers are in a black cup on David's desk, with the pens in there. He does not feel safe at Williams Academy.
On August 6, 2025, Child B (7-years-old) stated that if kids get in trouble, they go to David's office. David tries to hit kids with the rulers, but he moves out of the way. The rulers are blue, yellow, and tan. David says, "pick a color." The rulers are kept in the office on his desk in a black cup with the pens. They are plastic and wood, but the wood ruler hurts the most. He has been hit on the hand by the ruler. [Child B was looking around for David the entire time during the interview. When David passed by, Child B became quiet and stopped talking. Child B would then watch David and appeared afraid.]
On August 6, 2025, Child C (7-years-old) stated that if she is bad, she will get field trips or parties taken away, or she has to go to the office. David hits kids in the office. He hits kids all the time on their hand, butt, or leg. She does not feel safe at Williams Academy. David is mean. David gets a long thing that is blue, brown, or yellow; she doesn't know what it is called but David smacks the kids with it.
On August 6, 2025, Child D (11-years-old) stated that David grabs both big and little kids. When she was in trouble, she was sent to the office and David told her to pick a color. There are three different color of rulers, blue, yellow, and brown. David acts like he is going to hit her with the ruler and sometimes David does try to hit her with the ruler. David hits his own hand with the ruler and threatens. When kids act up, the teachers send them to David's office. She does not feel safe at Williams Academy. David is mean and makes kids go to the office, and David will smack the kids. Some kids get hit on the leg.
On August 6, 2025, LLC member David Williams was re-interviewed and stated that when Child A refused to leave the pool, he took Child A by the back of the neck because if he took Child A by the front, it would have choked Child A. He grabbed Child A's forearm because if he grabbed Child A's wrist he would have broken Child A's wrist. He felt he handled the situation to the best of his ability and would do it again because he is skilled in martial arts. If a child needs discipline, he brings them into his office and threatens to call the child's guardian. He does have three rulers in a black cup on his desk and he uses the rulers in a method he calls his "color game". Children don't want to play the color game because they know what happens. Once the children have been in trouble for a while they listen, and they don't want to play the color game. The rulers are blue, yellow, and brown, but the older kids call it a tan color. He holds the rulers together and smacks them on his hand as a warning. [David demonstrated how he smacked the rulers on his hand and made a loud smacking sound.] He uses it to help the kids learn their colors and as a "scare tactic". He never hit the children with the rulers, he just threatens the children. He does not know why the children would say they don't feel safe at the facility, but he is their disciplinarian, not their friend. These children need discipline; they do not get it at home.
On August 6, 2025, caregiver Kayonie Morris stated that if children are bad, they sit on the couch with David or they go in the office with David. The children do not like David because David can be loud.
On August 6, 2025, caregiver Kyrah Sykes was re-interviewed and stated that at the water park, Child A threw a tantrum and Parent G tried to get Child A out of the water. David had Child A by the arm and had Child A by the neck. David's actions seemed a little aggressive to her. She thinks David would be the reason that the children would say they don't feel safe at the facility. [Kyrah started crying during the interview and stated that she felt bad because she is a teacher that sends children to David's office.] David yells at the children a lot. David is verbally aggressive with the children. She has heard David call children, "stupid". She has heard David tell his own child "toughen up", "you're a boy", and "you don't get to cry." She feels the children are spoken to harshly.
On August 6, 2025, caregiver Gabrielle "Gabby" McCain was re-interviewed and stated that David grabbed Child A at the pool by Child A's neck and arm. It did seem kind of rough to her. David has grabbed Child B by the arm on several occasions when Child B refuses to move or leave the classroom.
On August 6, 2025, caregiver Aniyah Howard was re-interviewed and stated that she was at the pool when Child A refused to leave. David did grab Child A by the neck and arm when Child A refused to move. David has grabbed Child B by the arm when Child B has refused to move or leave the classroom. If children do not behave, they go to the office with David or they call the parents. She has heard David make threats to children, as well as humiliate and embarrass the children. One time, Child J (5-years-old) pooped his pants and David made Child J put on a diaper and go back into the school-age room only wearing the diaper, but she doesn't remember when this happened.
On August 6, 2025, while CIS Chrisco and CI Hughes were interviewing Aniyah Howard, Child H, 6-years-old and non-verbal, came into the room and David came in after him. Child H ran over to Aniyah and started hiding behind Aniyah. Child H was shaking his head and grabbing onto Aniyah trying to get closer and closer to Aniyah. David went to Child H and told Child H to come with him. Child H first shook his head No, but slowly and reluctantly went with David. Additionally, while conducting the investigation, CIS Chrisco and CI Hughes observed David's office and David's desk had a black cup with pens and rulers. There were three rulers, two rulers were plastic and blue and yellow colors. One ruler was wooden and brown or tannin color. David confirmed that they were the rulers he used for the color game.
On August 7, 2025, director Carolyn Jones stated that the supervisor from the pool was a "male Karen". She wants to know who died and left that guy in charge. The pool man should have assisted. She knows David is different, but David is a grown. She can't tell David what to do. David will do what David wants.
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