LEBANON — Two former childcare workers will serve six months on home detention after a toddler in their care ate a THC gummy.
A Boone County judge sentenced Stella Latham and Paige Wilson on January 15 to six months of home detention and six months of probation.
The toddler, Creed, ended up in the hospital following the incident, which happened at Just Be Kids Learning Center in Lebanon.
Creed’s father, Joe Rauseo, gave a victim impact statement to the court on Thursday.
“What happened never should have happened,” said Rauseo. “My son is a child. He didn’t have the ability, the maturity, or the authority to protect himself in that situation, and the people who should have known better failed him.”
The former childcare workers pleaded guilty to Neglect of a Dependent, a Level 6 felony, in connection with a 1-year-old in their care eating a THC gummy.
Stella Latham and Paige Wilson admitted in Boone County Circuit Court that their actions endangered a child’s life or health.
“Sitting with the fear of what could have happened to my child is something I’ll carry for a long time,” said Rauseo. “It’s incredibly hard as a parent to accept that someone else’s poor decision put your child at risk. That loss of trust hurts. The fact that this even had to be addressed hurts.”
Rauseo said he has forgiven both Latham and Wilson and hopes they understand the gravity of their actions.
“I hope the weight of this is fully understood,” said Rauseo. “I hope this was a wake-up call. And I hope that going forward, there is a much deeper respect for the responsibility that comes with being around children.”
As WRTV Investigates reported, the incident happened on January 16, 2024, at Just Be Kids Learning Center in Lebanon.
Latham brought a THC gummy into the classroom during nap time, and Wilson placed it on a box that was accessible to children, according to court documents.
The gummy contained Delta 8 or Delta 9, according to court documents, a cannabis product that can be legally bought in Indiana in low concentrations.
Video surveillance showed Creed, 1, grab the gummy and put it into his mouth, drop it onto his shirt and then onto the floor, according to court documents.
Creed’s parents say their son only ate part of the gummy, but because he’s only 30 pounds, it was enough to make him sick.
The daycare workers later found the gummy, checked on Creed, changed his stained shirt and high-fived each other, according to court documents.
Just Be Kids Learning Center in Lebanon closed in April 2024.
FSSA notified Just Be Kids Learning Center in February 2024 of its intent to revoke its license.
PREVIOUS | State moves to revoke childcare center’s license
A new childcare center, Learning Our P’s and Q’s Preschool, opened at the same address, 356 N Mt. Zion Road.
You can check a childcare’s inspection record on the FSSA Child Care Finder website.
FULL VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT FROM CREED’S FATHER:
“I need to speak honestly about what happened with my son, because pretending this didn’t shake me would be a lie.
I am angry. I am frustrated. And I am disappointed.
What happened never should have happened. My son is a child. He didn’t have the ability, the maturity, or the authority to protect himself in that situation, and the people who should have known better failed him. Sitting with the fear of what could have happened to my child is something I’ll carry for a long time. That frustration doesn’t just disappear.
It’s incredibly hard as a parent to accept that someone else’s poor decision put your child at risk. That loss of trust hurts. The fact that this even had to be addressed hurts.
And still I am choosing forgiveness.
I forgive Paige and Stella. Not because I’m okay with what happened, and not because it wasn’t serious, but because I refuse to let anger be the only thing that comes from this. Forgiveness doesn’t erase the frustration, and it doesn’t remove accountability. It simply means I’m choosing not to let this moment define everyone involved.
As a father, I carry a responsibility that goes beyond anger or frustration. I have to show my son what it means to be a man when life puts you in painful, unfair situations. A man can stand firm, speak the truth, protect his family and still forgive.
Forgiveness isn’t weakness. It’s not ignoring what happened or pretending it didn’t matter. It’s choosing to rise above the hurt and not let bitterness take root. I want my son to see that even when you’re angry, even when you’ve been disappointed, you can still choose a better path. That’s the example I’m trying to set for him now.
I hope the weight of this is fully understood. I hope this was a wake-up call. And I hope that going forward, there is a much deeper respect for the responsibility that comes with being around children.
Right now, my focus is and has been on my son, on his safety, his healing, and making sure he knows that his protection will always come first. That’s my job. And I take it seriously.”
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