SHORELINE, Wash. — KIRO 7 has uncovered new details about a Shoreline daycare that was shut down by the state nearly three months ago after a little girl said she was sexually assaulted there.
The King County Sheriff's Office has forwarded the case to the prosecutor's office for review.
The state Department of Early Learning immediately suspended Westminster Daycare’s license in March when the Sheriff's Office started investigating and hasn't reopened since. The daycare filed a motion to stay the suspension so it could reopen, but it was denied by an administrative law judge last week.
"After she went potty, she had blood on her panty,” the alleged victim’s mother said back in March. She spoke exclusively to KIRO 7 at the time, saying she believes her daughter was sexually assaulted in the bathroom of Westminster Daycare.
“That was profoundly heartbreaking to all of us,” Verlon Fosner, the chairman of the daycare’s board, said in his first interview with KIRO 7.
“We're really hoping to find out what in the world they think happened that we can somehow cooperate with,” Fosner added. “We don’t believe anything untoward happened here.”
But an investigation by the Department of Early Learning found a number of safety concerns at the daycare, which has been in business for 40 years.
The documents show a longtime worker at the facility "had full access to the child care premises yet did not have a background check."
KIRO 7 asked if there was somebody working at the daycare who had access to children that should not have.
“No, the access to the children part is what our great big frustration is,” Fosner answered.
That investigation also says the daycare's director allegedly knew the worker had a criminal history "and allowed him to work at the child care and have contact with the children without a background check."
Fosner wouldn't answer any questions about personnel issues, only saying that he has full confidence in all of the workers.
“We personally believe there is going to be a day in which we are going to be exonerated on this,” Fosner said.
The judge who refused to allow the daycare to reopen says staff may have "tainted" the law enforcement investigation by conducting their own investigation into the girl's allegations. KIRO 7 obtained documents showing they’d been warned about this before.
Five years ago the state cited the daycare after a teacher questioned a 10-year-old boy suspected of inappropriate touching before contacting law enforcement.
Cox Media Group
