A Georgia community is outraged after a daycare worker accused of battering a one-year-old boy on his first day of school was released on bond, sparking fury from the child’s family and a wave of threats against the judge who approved it.
A Father’s Worst Nightmare
Clay Weeks, just one year old, was rushed to the hospital with a black eye and scratches across his face and neck. His father, Cory Weeks, said staff at Little Blessings Child Care in Bainbridge first tried to blame another child, claiming a classmate with a plastic toy had caused the injuries.
But Cory’s suspicions grew, and when he reviewed surveillance footage, he says he saw what really happened. Surveillance footage allegedly showed Thurston pushing a table into Clay, knocking him to the floor, and failing to help him.
“Nothing we saw was for the faint-hearted, especially happening to such an innocent soul,” he wrote in a Facebook post. Clay was treated at Memorial Hospital and Manor, where EMTs and staff documented his injuries while working to comfort the toddler after what his father described as a ‘day of torture.’
The Accused
The daycare worker, Yvette Thurston, 54, was arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated battery and three counts of first-degree child abuse. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning confirmed Thurston was terminated, and the church-run daycare center was temporarily closed.
Clay’s mother, Cassie, also spoke out after the closure was announced, calling it ‘a step in the right direction’ and thanking God that action had finally been taken
Despite the serious allegations, Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Rose-Emmons released Thurston on $44,000 bond on August 16.
The decision set off outrage online, with parents blasting the ruling and the victim’s family calling it “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
“We had to live it and are still living it,” Cory wrote, warning other parents not to ignore unexplained injuries. “Don’t believe the ‘happy pictures’ sent to you, because we had that done as well during a day of complete torture of our Clay.”
“This was his first day,” Cory wrote. “We trusted this facility, and on day one that trust was violated.”
Threats Against the Judge
The backlash has escalated so fiercely that District Attorney Joe Mulholland issued a public statement condemning threats made toward Judge Rose-Emmons.
“Our judges deserve to perform their duties without fear for their safety. You may not like their decisions, but you don’t have the right to threaten them or their families,” he said, adding his office will prosecute anyone making menaces.
An Investigation Underway
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is now investigating the case, as Clay’s parents fear their son may not have been Thurston’s first victim.
“The severity of these acts of violence leads us to believe this wasn’t the first time,” Cory said.
As Clay recovers alongside his older brother Wyatt, the Weeks family is urging other parents to question everything and never accept quick explanations when a child comes home hurt.
