Exclusive: Another Tutor Time employee speaks out about alleged child abuse and neglect at the Lindenhurst day care
The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) found 10 violations at the daycare, and says it could revoke the daycare's license to operate pending an investigation.
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A growing number of former employees of Tutor Time in Lindenhurst are telling News 12 about alleged child abuse and neglect they witnessed while working at the day care.
This comes as the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) found 10 violations at the day care, and says it could revoke the day care's license to operate pending an investigation.
A fourth person who worked at Tutor Time says they witnessed these violations take place and say they reported them to state officials.
A parent of a child at Tutor Time sent News 12 a message they received from the day care that said in part, "We are working closely with our local licensing representative to appeal the revocation and develop a plan that will allow us to continue care."
The violations were found Friday, Feb. 28, the same day News 12 first reported Suffolk County police were at the facility conducting an investigation that eventually led to an employee's arrest for allegedly abusing a toddler in her care last week.
Police announced the arrest of Megan Marchena Saturday on charges of assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Since then, the OCFS found at least 10 violations including corporal punishment, children left alone without supervision, and failure to report suspected child abuse.
The former employee asked to be referred to as Brittany out of fears of retaliation by her former employer.
She says she saw several violations take place and reported them to a state tip line.
"These are babies and they were being called stupid,” she said. “Just a lot of like the roughness of handling the kids. Like, putting them down a little too roughly. Shouting at them a little too much."
Brittany says day care staff failed to act on those reports from her and others at the day care.
"Speaking up was going to get me in some sort of trouble at work,” she said. “I'm a mandated reporter and that's my job."
Crime Victims Center executive director Laura Ahearn says day care staff are required by law to report any potential violations to the state.
"If they're pending an investigation, they'll probably determine whether or not they're going to suspend or revoke that license,” she said. "Clearly there is something going on with a lack of supervision and obviously a lack of training. It's frightening that there's even cameras there and that this might be happening still.”
News 12 reached out to Tutor Time for a response about the new violations, the pending license revocation, and claims the program director did not report issues to the state.
It has not yet returned our request for comment.
Marchena and the program director are now on administrative leave.
News 12 asked OCFS what the protocol is for how often day cares would need to be inspected.
A spokesperson sent a statement saying:
“Federal regulations require inspections of OCFS-licensed child care programs at least once annually. It is OCFS's goal to conduct quarterly monitoring inspections of licensed/registered child care programs.”
