DAY CARE WORKER CHARGED WITH ABUSE
Lighthouse Academy video shows child grabbed ‘aggressively.’
BOYNTON BEACH — The day after authorities arrested her granddaughter’s day care teacher on a child-abuse charge, Latasha Norfus inspected the remnants of scars and scratches on the toddler’s arms and neck.
“Who did that to you?” the Boynton Beach grandmother asked.
“Ms. Amelia,” the 3-year-old replied each time Norfus pointed at a different one.
Amelia Jones, 31, was arrested — and fired — Feb. 6 for reportedly leaving bruises on another toddler in her care at Lighthouse Academy and Child Development Center, on Boynton Beach Boulevard just west of City Hall. Authorities arrested her again Monday at her Lantana home in the case involving Norfus’ granddaughter.
According to Norfus, the day care center had known about allegations against Jones since at least November. That’s when her daughter first noticed cuts on her little girl and notified the center’s staff. The toddler claimed “Ms. Amelia” had scratched her.
However, it was not until last week, after another mother claimed Jones bruised her child, that any change happened, Norfus said. That mother noticed bruises on her child’s left arm when she picked her 3-year-old up Feb. 5 from the center. The woman asked the staff about the bruises, but no one could explain what had happened.
The child had been bad at day care, so “Ms. Amelia” grabbed the child, that 3-year-old said.
Video-camera footage from the classroom shows Jones “very aggressively” grabbing that toddler by the arm and taking the child to the bathroom, accord-
long Jones worked at the day care center, though Norfus said Jones only worked with her granddaughter for a few ing to police records. The months. school’s staff confronted During those months, Jones about the incident though, the little girl who Feb. 6 and she admitted to once loved school grew to “becoming too aggressive” dread it, she said. “It wasn’t with the child. like her,” Norfus added.
When Boynton Be a ch “She would just cry when police spoke with Jones, she my daughter pulled up (to said that child had been cry- the) school. ing incessantly that morn“Imagine the kids there ing. She said she was frusthat can’t talk to tell their trated and forcefully grabbed parents.” the child. Two more of Norfus’
She took the tot into the grandchildren have attended bathroom to try to calm the the center. They’d never had child down. any problems with the day
An officer noted that the care until Jones worked bruises on the toddler looked there, she said. Palm Beach to be in the shape of fingers, County Health Department and cuts by the child’s elbow records indicate the center appeared to be from finger- has had several violations nails. in the last year — including
Jones said she was unaware staff members not complet- she’d left bruises on the child ing mandatory training. All and stressed how sorry she of the violations, none of was for injuring that toddler, which was considered major, according to police records. were addressed by the time
A day care employee who of the authorities’ next visit asked not to be named said to the center.
Jones was “immediately terNorfus said she watched minated.” It’s unclear how video of Jones forcefully grab- bing her granddaughter from across the table. According to police records, video from Feb. 5 shows Jones grab, shake and lift the girl out of a chair “for no apparent reason.”
The girl fell to the floor and Jones made no effort to help her, police said.
Medical authorities determined the marks on the little girl’s arm last week were signs of physical abuse.
A day care employee who spoke with The Post on Thursday declined to comment about any of the allegations involving Norfus’ granddaughter.
“This shouldn’t have happened,” Norfus said.
Jones, who does not appear to have a criminal history in Palm Beach County, is out of jail on a $3,000 bond, according to jail records.
When The Post called her about the allegations, she replied: “Teachers have stressful days. That’s all I’m going to say.”