Ex-day care worker pleads in toddlers’ case

Employee became aggressive with two children at center.

A former Boynton Beach day care worker pleaded guilty Monday to culpable negligence after video showed her “becoming too aggressive” with two toddlers, court records show.

Amelia Jones, 31, was arrested in February on multiple child cruelty charges. She pleaded guilty to lesser misdemeanor charges of culpable negligence for inflicting injury on a child and exposing others to injury, court records show.

A judge ordered adjudication be withheld in the case and sentenced Jones to one year’s probation. During that year, she cannot have contact with children not related to her. She also must undergo an anger management course and do community service.

Her attorney, Herman Stevens Jr., could not immediately be reached for comment.

Video-camera footage from Jones’ classroom at Lighthouse Academy and Child Development Center, 202 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., showed her “very aggressively” grab a toddler by the arm and take the child into a bathroom, according to Boynton Beach police records. The school’s staff confronted Jones about the incident the morning after they learned of the allegations and she admitted to “becoming too aggressive” with the child.

Jones was “immediately terminated,” according to day care staff. The center declined to comment Monday on Jones’ plea.

Jones told Boynton police in February the child had been crying insistently all morning. She brought the child to the bathroom to calm the child down, she said. An officer noted bruises and cuts on the child.

Video showed “Ms. Amelia” injure another child as well. In the Feb. 5 recording, Jones can be seen grabbing a child from across a table, then shaking the child and lifting the child out of a chair. The child fell and Jones made no apparent effort to help.

The Palm Beach Post spoke with Jones in February. “Teachers have stressful days. That’s all I’m going to say,” she said.