DURANT, OK — Sue’s Day Care in Durant, Oklahoma is currently under investigation after allegations of administering Benadryl to children before nap time.
UPDATE (10/02/2015): The Bryan County Sheriff’s office has concluded their investigation and submitted their findings to district attorney Emily Redman. Deputies state that Beverly Sue Stair may face child abuse charges.
UPDATE (08/28/2015): Investigators have now been contacted by two additional parents, raising the total number of potential victims (so far) to nine.
According to Jeff Wilson, an investigator with the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, “We’ve been investigating Sue’s Day Care here in Durant for alleged child abuse charges for giving children Benadryl to assist them to go to sleep at time.”
Wilson stated that a former employee of the daycare had alerted the Department of Human Services (DHS) about the drugs being administered to these children, and more employees are now coming forward. “They’ve come and confessed to what was going on in the daycare, and all stated that they were ordered to give this by the owner,” said Wilson.
Wilson is recommending that the Bryan County D.A. file charges against Beverly Sue Stair, the daycare facility’s owner, and says that he expects to hand the case over to the district attorney by the end of the week.
“What she was doing was messing with everybody’s lives,” said Leslee Meade, who was reported to be the mother of one of the victims. “Had something happened it would have changed everybody’s lives forever.” Seven child victims have been identified so far. While none of the children are believed to have sustained any serious injuries, it should be noted that Benadryl should only be given to children under doctor’s orders as the drug has been known to cause side effects in some children including: allergic reactions, negative interactions with other drugs, rapid heart rate, fever and agitation, and can even cause children to stop breathing due to swelling of the face, tongue, and throat.
The label specifically says the drug should not be used as a sleep aid. And in children under two years old, Benadryl can have unpredictable or even toxic side effects.
Pending investigation, the Department of Human Services shut down the daycare center on Friday. Sue’s Day Care cannot re-open until the DHS investigation is complete.