Karon Anterline, a former employee of Sweet Angels Daycare of Newfane, pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment in Newfane Town Court on Tuesday afternoon.
The reduced charge stems from a December 2022 incident in which Anterline, 66, “acted with the intent to harass, annoy or alarm” a child at the daycare center and that she “struck, shoved, kicked or otherwise subjected (them) to physical contact or attempted or threatened to do the same,” Town Justice Bruce Barnes confirmed as he accepted her plea.
Anterline originally was charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child. As a part of her plea deal, the child in the case was given a two-year order of protection, and Anterline agreed to waive sealing of the case.
Simultaneous with her plea, Barnes sentenced Anterline to pay a $250 fine and complete 50 hours of community service within six months.
Anterline and a former co-worker, Victoria Stanton, 22, both were charged with endangering the welfare of a child in September by New York State Police. A third employee, Alexis Cleveley, 22, was charged with three counts of child endangerment on Dec. 15.
All of the court cases stem from an investigation by state police based on complaints lodged this past February by parents of children who attended Sweet Angels.
In the wake of the investigation, Sweet Angels announced on Monday that the Newfane location is closing at the end of this month, due to “charges filed against former employees as well as demographic and staffing challenges.”
Mallory Bumpers-Wojewoda and Kathy Chenez-Stefanko are two of the parents who filed complaints with the state Office of Children and Family Services after they had noticed signs of apparent physical and mental abuse in their children while attending the daycare last year. They were also among the dozen parents of children who attended the daycare that turned out for Anterline’s Tuesday afternoon court appearance.
The mothers said they first had concerns last year when their children started to behave abnormally. Those concerns were heightened when their children came home with bruises.
“My daughter came home with bruising on her face and bruising underneath her eye,” Chenez-Stefanko said.
Bumpers-Wojewoda said she approached leadership of Sweet Angels about similar abuse of her daughter, and was led her to believe that it was the child’s fault.
“The only thing that the owner kept saying to me is ‘your kid is the problem, your kid has behavioral issues,’” Bumpers-Wojewoda said.
Following that, both moms removed their children from the daycare and filed reports with OCFS and state police.
The ensuing investigation into the daycare center, which is ongoing, is what led to the arrest of the three former employees.
Along the way, Bumpers-Wojewoda and Chenez-Stefanko said, they came into contact with about a dozen other parents who had similar experiences and have since pulled their children out of the daycare, including the one who faced abuse from Anterline.
“It’s not just about our kids, it never was,” Bumpers-Wojewoda said.
While Anterline’s sentencing provided some closure for the parents, Bumpers-Wojewoda and Chenez-Stefanko seemed let down that Anterline did not receive a harsher sentence.
“I’m happy that part is closed (for the mother and her child), but I’m disappointed,” Chenez-Stefanko said.
“It’s a slap in our face,” Bumpers-Wojewoda added.
Anterline’s attorney, Barry Covert, declined to comment after the sentencing.
Stanton’s and Cleveley’s next court appearances are scheduled for 2 p.m. Jan. 23.