LEBANON, Ind. — Two former childcare workers pleaded guilty Thursday to Neglect of a Dependent, a Level 6 felony, in connection with a 1-year-old 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.
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.
Latham and Wilson will be sentenced on January 15 at 10:30 a.m.
They are facing 2.5 years in prison, although that sentence is not likely because they reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.
“You're supposed to be able to trust these people with your children,” said Creed’s mother, Shelby Edens. “So, when something like that happens, I was just in a world of shock."
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.
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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.
