Yalobusha General Releases Statement on Alleged Abuse Claim at WV Daycare

By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Photo by Talbert Toole.

Yalobusha General Hospital released a statement Monday on its Facebook page in regards to allegations of abuse by a daycare worker at a Water Valley daycare owned and operated by the hospital.

The incident happened in December when 2-year-old Hadley Morris suffered a broken nose and bruising to the face while at the Cotten Candy Kids Learning Center. Her mother, Nicole Morris, worked at the daycare and was in the next room when her daughter was hurt.

Morris reviewed a security camera the night her child was injured. In the video, the daycare worker is seen grabbing Hadley and walking off camera toward the bathroom. A moment later, Hadley returns on the camera crying with her nose bleeding. When the daycare worker walks toward her with a tissue, Hadley puts up her arms and backs away.

Since no arrest has been made as of Tuesday morning, the name of the daycare worker is not being released.

Hadley Morris, 2, suffered a broken nose and injuries to her face at a Water Valley daycare in December. Photo provided by Nicole Morris.

The following day, Morris quit her job at the daycare, removed Hadley and reported the incident to the Water Valley Police Department.

Morris put the video and a photo of Hadley on Facebook on April 8. It has garnered more than 360,000 views and has been shared 4,000 times.

According to several comments made on Facebook, the daycare told parents at a meeting last week that Hadley fell and hit her nose on a toilet.

Calls and emails for comment to Yalobusha General Hospital from Hottytoddy.com have been unanswered as of this morning.

In the hospital’s statement on Facebook, they claim they were made aware of the incident in December.

“When we learned of the incident, we reported the matter to the Mississippi State Department of Health. The Department of Health and local authorities conducted an investigation, found no wrongdoing on the part of the staff at Cotten Candy Kids Daycare, and closed their files on the matter.”

However, an investigator with the Water Valley Police Department said the case had been forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office.

The District Attorney’s Office would not confirm nor deny whether the case is going before the Grand Jury on Thursday.

She said she released the video in hopes of moving the case against the daycare worker along.

“I put the video out because I knew if I didn’t do something, they were going to get away with it and not only would my daughter not get justice, who knows what (the daycare worker) would do,” Morris said this morning.

Morris said was surprised at how quickly the video spread on Facebook.

“I’m thankful to everyone for the outpouring of love,” she said.

https://www.facebook.com/christon.morris/videos/pcb.10219356364526032/10219356353685761/?type=3&theater