FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Forsyth County childcare center has had its childcare license revoked because of failure to report a worker accused of sexually abusing a preschooler.
The same worker is now accused of hurting several other children at a different childcare center.
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Cornerstone Schools on Browns Bridge Road in Cumming serves children from infants to 12th grade.
However, the license for their early childcare center, serving infants, toddlers and preschoolers, has been revoked in a letter sent to the school this week by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.
“We believe due to these circumstances that it did deserve a revocation,” Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning spokesperson Reg Griffin said.
“If there is any type of withholding information or not coming forward in a timely manner, that definitely has ramifications,” Griffin said. “Not notifying DHS is against the law and they should’ve done that.”
Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is referring to 22-year-old Tulsi Patel.
Back in March, a parent at Cornerstone Schools reported that their 3-year-old was sexually abused by Patel who was working at the school. However, the school never reported it to law enforcement or the state.
The March allegation didn’t come to light until July when Patel was working at the Alpharetta Kids ‘R’ Kids on Webb Bridge Road.
It was there that investigators say she inappropriately touched several four-year-old children while working at the center for just two weeks. There was a total of 12 victims at Kids ‘R’ Kids.
When investigators looked into Patel’s past, they discovered the March allegation at Cornerstone and have since charged Cornerstone school President Angela Martin for failure to report.
“The investigation was continuing on up until this decision yesterday,” Griffin said. “Self-reporting is really an important part of the license you hold to offer childcare.”
Channel 2′s Candace McCowan spoke to the parents of one of the victims at Kids ‘R’ Kids.
They’re now suing Kids ‘R’ Kids and Cornerstone. They’re outraged that this was allowed to happen.
“Those people are just monsters,” said the dad who asked to not share his identity to protect his daughter. “She got away with it the first time.”
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At Cornerstone Schools, they have 10 days to file an appeal. They’ll then have a hearing in front of an administrative judge.
But the state said there is a second investigation into what happened in the Kids ‘R’ Kids case. That should be completed in the coming weeks.
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On July 29, 2024, the owners of Kids ‘R’ Kids Webb Bridge issued the following statement:
We are deeply saddened and troubled to inform you about a serious incident that has occurred within our school community, whereas, Tulsi Patel, a recently-hired teacher, was arrested on Friday, July 26 for egregious misconduct towards children.
This behavior is completely unacceptable and goes against everything we stand for as an educational institution with a mission of ensuring every child in our care feels safe, loved, and inspired. We take that responsibility, and the trust that each family places in us, very seriously.
Upon learning of these allegations on July 25th, we took immediate and decisive action. We have fully cooperated with the authorities by turning over all available video evidence to the police and contacted the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to self-report the matter. Additionally, we called the impacted families and notified all school parents.
The safety and well-being of the children and families impacted by this are our highest priorities, and we will continue to assist in the investigation to ensure that justice is served. Our school has also retained counseling and support services to assist the involved children and families during this very difficult time.
We want to assure you that we will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect our students. We will not tolerate any form of misconduct, and we are committed to ensuring that the teacher involved is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
We understand that this news is distressing and may raise concerns about the safety of children in our care. Please know that we are taking every possible measure to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. We have already begun a thorough review of our policies and procedures to strengthen our safeguards and ensure a secure and supportive environment for all our students.
Thank you for your understanding, patience and support. Kids ‘R’ Kids is a strong and tight-knit community of children and families and we will need to rely on one another in the days and weeks ahead as we cope with the devastation and shock of this revelation.
Regards,
Ownership & Management Team
Kids ‘R’ Kids Webb Bridge
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