HUDSON, WI — A female daycare worker has been arrested and sentenced to jail after throwing a child to the ground ‘like a ragdoll,” breaking the boy’s leg.
The defendant, Ashley Garrity, 27, pleaded no contest to the charges brought up against her for felony reckless child abuse causing harm. She was sentenced to an 8 month prison term as well as 3 years probation.
History of Abuse
Ms. Garrity is alleged to have a history of abusing children, and the 14-month-old she threw on the ground wasn’t her first such offense. Her instances of abuse were caught by surveillance cameras around the daycare, and in one scene, children congregated around a boy who had just been thrown across the floor, watching him writhe in pain from a fractured limb.
The abuse, which occurred at Bear Buddies Educational Resources, caught the attention of the Department of Children and Families, DCF, which led to them fining the daycare center for committing “physically painful, dangerous, discomforting or potentially injurious” actions, as well as failing to report the abuse to authorities.
Garrity Blames Understaffing
Ms. Garrity tried to offer up an excuse to a police officer assigned to the case, claiming that the center was short-staffed the day the abuse happened, and that she was disciplined by her boss for her actions.
The presiding Judge, Michael Waterman of St. Croix County, stated that he had initially planned to sentence Garrity to the maximum of 3 years in prison, but changed his mind after the family of the injured boy expressed compassion for the defendant in a heartfelt note to the judge.
Client Remorseful Over Actions
Defense attorney Julie Weber called Garrity “the most remorseful client” she’s worked with during her two decades as an attorney. In a statement, Garrity said that she regretted that day and that she never would have thought she would be responsible for the pain the abuse child went through.
After release from prison, Garrity will be banned from dealing with children in a professional capacity.