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KTNV 13 Action News

After video outraged parents, more allegations against Henderson daycare

By Kelsey McFarland,

9 days ago
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More allegations of mistreatment and abuse at a Henderson daycare are coming out after Channel 13 reported on security video from DJ's Christian Daycare .

Former clients and employees of the establishment have since come forward with their stories.

Parents Kayla Zomerdyk and Nashawn Royal gave Channel 13 the security video on Monday, showing their three-year-old daughter being grabbed by her arms and pulled to an area off camera while she was at DJ's Daycare on Friday.

WATCH: Parents react to video of daycare staff member interacting with their three-year-old:

Henderson parents outraged over daycare video

The pair said they are trying to press charges and want the business shut down.

Now that the video is out, others are coming forward with their stories.

"I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I couldn't breathe because my daughter was not OK."

When Bre Meyers saw the video of the staff member grabbing a three-year-old, she said it brought back painful memories.

"Rage and pain, because had SVU actually investigated a year and a half ago in 2022 — Aug. 26, 2022 — had they investigated, no other child, no other parent would have to go through the pain that we've gone through," she said.

Meyers claims her one-year-old daughter was inconsolable when she was picked up from daycare that day and said she wouldn't eat, drink or leave her side.

"I put my daughter in the bathtub, and upon taking off her onesie, all you see is bruises down her side," Meyers said.

"I couldn't even hold my daughter without her being in excruciating pain because it was as if someone picked her up like this and aggressively grabbed her that it created handprint bruises on my one-year-old child."

Meyers claims the daycare owner refused to show her video taken that day because foster children were present.

We found a report on the Department of Health and Human Services website that shows investigators "did not observe any inappropriate disciplines or interactions" after they investigated her claims.

Meyers doesn't accept that.

"The police department failed a lot of kids, not just my own," she said.

We also spoke with two former employees of DJ's Christian Daycare who allege they, too, witnessed inappropriate behavior by staff members from 2018 to 2019, including grabbing and yanking children as well as limiting food and water intake.

Both women said they quit, and one of those former employees also pulled her children out of the daycare.

We spoke with James Alson, the attorney for DJ's Christian Daycare owner and director Debra Abendroth, over the phone. He said they are waiting for Henderson police to complete their investigation into Friday's incident and also pointed to the fact that Henderson police dismissed the 2022 allegations.

So, how can you find out about a daycare's history before you enroll your child?

Many parents we spoke with expressed difficulty finding a daycare facility they trust.

For those parents, there is helpful information publicly available. On the Department of Health and Human Services website , you can find licensing and inspection report information about all childcare facilities in the state — including any disciplinary action the business faced.

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