Day care workers put ice packs in a child’s clothes so they would ‘suffer,’ SC cops say

Two former daycare employees are facing child cruelty charges after police said they put an ice pack into a child’s clothing, according to South Carolina police.

The workers caused “unnecessary pain and suffering to a minor child” by putting the ice packs inside the child’s clothing, arrest warrants from the Fountain Inn Police Department say. The incident happened on Aug. 24. Police told WHNS they did so to “cause the child to suffer.”

The workers were employed with Excel Academy, a child care center in Fountain Inn, about 85 miles northwest of Columbia.

A parent told WYFF4 that their child said a teacher would put ice packs down the pants of children so that they wouldn’t fall asleep during playtime and would later nap at the same time as the other kids.

Excel Academy, which serves up to 180 children, said in a statement posted Sept. 12 on Facebook that the actions of the staff members were “baffling.”

“As childcare providers, we are tasked with the safety, care, and teaching of your most precious possessions,” the statement says. “It is unfortunate that people, sometimes, make poor and dangerous decisions.”

Both of the employees are facing two counts of cruelty to children, according to police.

This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Day care workers put ice packs in a child’s clothes so they would ‘suffer,’ SC cops say."