BROWNSBURG — A civil lawsuit has been filed against a Brownsburg daycare that was shut down earlier this year following a child exploitation investigation, alleging negligence and failure to report suspected abuse.
The tort claim, filed December 10 in Hendricks Superior Court, names Nancy Minton, owner of Main Street University 4 Kidz, director Jennyfer Lingbeck, and the daycare itself as defendants.
The lawsuit stems from criminal charges filed against former daycare employee Gabriel Garner, 22, who faces 48 felony counts including child exploitation, possession of child pornography and public voyeurism. Garner is not named as a defendant in the civil case.
Allegations against daycare leadership
According to the lawsuit, Minton and Lingbeck were approached with allegations of inappropriate conduct by Garner involving minor students during 2024 and 2025, but failed to report the allegations to law enforcement or Indiana Department of Child Services as required by state law.
The complaint alleges that both women "persuaded their staff and the parent(s) of the minors not to report the inappropriate conduct" and "dismissed the concerns communicated to them by their staff and the parent(s) of the minor students."
The daycare allowed Garner to continue his teaching duties despite these concerns and "did not place any limits on Gabriel Garner's contact with the minor students," according to the lawsuit.
Criminal case
The investigation began in April at the daycare when police found over 130 photos of sexually explicit images of children at the daycare, ranging in 3 to 5 years of age, and approximately 125,000 images of child pornography on Garner's phone. Brownsburg police identified eight victims in the case.
The lawsuit details allegations that Garner sexually assaulted the plaintiff's child, identified as "Janie Doe" to protect her privacy, throughout 2024 and 2025 while she was 4 and 5 years old.
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In addition to Garner's charges, both Minton and Lingbeck face criminal charges including obstruction of justice, neglect of dependents, and failure to report suspected child abuse.
The Indiana Family & Social Services Administration issued an emergency closure order for the daycare after determining that management was informed of possible abuse and failed to report it.
At this time, the criminal cases against Garner, Minton and Lingbeck are pending.
The civil lawsuit seeks damages for negligence and punitive damages.
If you believe your child was a victim, authorities ask you to call the DCS hotline at 1-800-800-5556 or Brownsburg Police Criminal Investigation Division at 317-852-1109, extension 2123.
