Scituate preschool teacher accused of physically assaulting several young students
A former preschool teacher in Scituate, Massachusetts was arraigned Wednesday for allegedly assaulting several young children at the school.
Lilly Garofola, a 29-year-old from Hull, pleaded not guilty in Hingham District Court to four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and 12 counts of assault and battery, the Plymouth County district attorney said.
Reports from parents and staff members
District Attorney Tim Cruz said several parents and staff members from the Little Steps Learning Center approached police in the past several weeks with reports of "inappropriate physical contact" involving Garofola. According to the police report, one mother reported seeing red discoloration that could have been bruising on her child's collarbone and shoulder.
Physical and verbal abuse accusations
Between April and May, Garofola is accused of physically assaulting five children during school hours. Garofola allegedly pushed and slammed children to the ground and into seats and slammed them into tables, chairs and walls. According to the police report, she squeezed a child's face and screamed at them for whining and "violently" grabbed another child's wrists. Garofola is also accused of verbally abusing children at the school and screaming at them.
Garofola was taken into custody in Scituate Wednesday morning. She was suspended from her job before resigning.
On Wednesday, a judge set Garofola's bail at $1,000 with the condition that she have no contact with children under 16 and no contact with any witnesses in the case.
"Please be assured that the safety and well-being of your children remain our highest priority," the preschool said, in part, in a letter sent home to parents. "We are committed to maintaining a secure, nurturing environment for all children in our care."
"These charges are deeply concerning and are not aligned with Little Steps' core values. Upon learning of the allegations, Little Steps took immediate action to ensure the safety and well-being of every child entrusted to our care," said the preschool in a statement.
The Department of Children and Families confirmed in a statement to WBZ-TV that they received a report and are now investigating.
The DA said most of the incidents were caught on surveillance video and the preschool is fully cooperating with the investigation. They're asking if any other families believe their children were assaulted by Garofola to call the Scituate Police Department at 781-545-1212.
