Latest News 2010 October Katie’s Kids Learning Center Responsible for Child’s Death

Katie’s Kids Learning Center Responsible for Child’s Death

In Delray Beach Florida, NBC Miami and the Palm Beach Post News are reporting that a van driver for Katie's Kids Learning Center, and the owners of the institution, are both responsible for the wrongful death of 2 ½ year-old Haile Brockington.

Amanda Lee Inman, 31, of Boynton Beach, drove Haile to the Learning Center on August 5 in the center's van, but failed to un-strap her from her seat. The child was left for more than seven hours.

Inman turned herself in on August 23 and is being charged with manslaughter of a child, per the Delray Beach Police.  Brockington's mother, Nelda Lester, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Inman and active negligence against the owners of the day care facility.

Attorney Andrew Yaffa, for Haile Brokington's family, explained, "The family is pleased that they're so aggressively investigating this, but to pin this death on one individual is a huge mistake. This baby's death is the result of a systemic failure at an institution that didn't have the personnel nor the procedure to ensure the law was followed or the children were protected."

It wasn't until Inman was preparing to take the children home at 4:15 p.m. that another child noticed Haile still in the van. While Inman then tried to help Haile, she instructed another staff member to telephone 911.

Inman recollected that she had picked up 14 children - including Haile and her two siblings - at about 9 a.m.  When she assumed that they all gotten out of the van, she turned in her transportation log to the facility's director, Petra Rodriguez, and had a cigarette before resuming her other tasks.

Police recorded that Inman, when asked if she had checked the van, said, "Well, this morning I didn't. Usually, I go try ... I'll look back. ... I don't go row by row."

Leima Gleen, who also helped unload the children from the van that morning, told police that she, too, never went into the van to make sure all off the children had gotten out. She said, per her affidavit, that she didn't think that it was her responsibility.

Haile's parents site both Inman and the center for negligence in maintaining transportation logs, staff members not physically checking their vans to make sure no child is left behind and training their employees to keep the children under their care closely supervised at all times.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for pain and suffering, and for medical and funeral expenses.

Due to reports provided by Family Central of noncompliance with regulations, the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County has pulled over $205,000 in state funding to Katie's Kids.  About $600,000 in government money could be removed next if the county decides to stop all of the center's subsidies.

Kathryn Muhammad, co-owner of Katie's Kids Learning Center and four other facilities now being examined, has fired Inman and promises procedural changes regarding the transportation of its children. 

The death is under the current investigation of the Department of Children and Families.

In the event of a wrongful death, an experienced attorney will know what to do to help.  Do not hesitate to contact a personal injury lawyer in our directory as quickly as possible.

Categories: Wrongful Death

Archives