On Wednesday, a former Scituate, Massachusetts preschool teacher was charged with assaulting multiple young students at the school.
According to the Plymouth County district attorney, Lilly Garofola, 29, of Hull, entered a not guilty plea in Hingham District Court to 12 charges of assault and battery and four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Parents’ and employees’ reports
In recent weeks, a number of parents and Little Steps Learning Centre employees reported “inappropriate physical contact” with Garofola to the police, according to District Attorney Tim Cruz.
One mother claimed to have seen red discoloration on her child’s shoulder and collarbone, which may have been bruising, according to the police report.
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Allegations of verbal and physical abuse
Garofola is charged with physically abusing five children while they were in school between April and May. Children were allegedly pushed and slammed by Garofola onto the floor, into seats, and against walls, tables, and chairs.
According to the police report, she “violently” grabbed another child’s wrists and screamed at them for whining while squeezing their face. Garofola is also charged with yelling at and verbally abusing students at the school.
Garofola was arrested Wednesday morning in Scituate. She resigned after being suspended from her position.
A judge set $1,000 bail for Garofola on Wednesday, with the stipulation that she must not speak to any witnesses in the case or children under the age of sixteen.
“Please be assured that the safety and well-being of your children remain our highest priority,” the preschool wrote in a letter that was sent on to parents. “We are committed to maintaining a secure, nurturing environment for all children in our care.”
These charges are deeply concerning and are not aligned with Little Steps’ core values. Upon learning of the allegations, Little Steps took immediate action to ensure the safety and well-being of every child entrusted to our care,” the preschool said in a statement.
In a statement, the Department of Children and Families acknowledged receiving a report and that they are currently looking into it.
The preschool is fully cooperating with the investigation, according to the DA, and the majority of the incidents were captured on surveillance footage.
They are requesting that any additional families who think Garofola may have abused their children contact the Scituate Police Department at 781-545-1212.
