A Natick daycare owner pleaded guilty Thursday to charges related to assaulting two young children who were in her care, according to court records.
Lad & Lassie Nursery and Preschool co-owner Sandra Downer, 58, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery in Natick District Court for offenses committed on Oct. 7, 2024, court records show. She was sentenced to 1.5 years of probation on the charges.
As part of the sentencing, a judge barred Downer from working with children or having contact with the victims and their families, according to court records. He also ordered her to complete an anger management program and undergo a mental health evaluation.
Neither Downer nor her lawyer could be reached for comment on Thursday.
Charges were filed against Downer after the other co-owner of the daycare filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, WCVB reported. The other daycare owner reported seeing concerning video footage of Downer captured by the daycare’s security cameras.
One video showed Downer lifting a 17-month-old girl up by her arm and putting her in a seat, WCVB reported. Another showed her picking up a toddler during nap-time, slamming the toddler down on her cot and tying the young girl to the cot with a blanket.
Downer has surrendered her state license to be a childcare provider, WCVB reported. Her lawyer told the news station his client admits that she exercised poor judgment during the incidents that were recorded on video.
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