A Georgia community is in turmoil after a daycare worker accused of violently injuring a one-year-old boy on his very first day of school was released on bond. The decision has ignited anger from the child’s family and stirred backlash against the judge who approved the release.
A Horrifying First Day
Little Clay Weeks, just 12 months old, was rushed to the hospital with a black eye and deep scratches across his face and neck. His father, Cory Weeks, said staff at Little Blessings Child Care in Bainbridge initially claimed another child had caused the injuries using a plastic toy.
But Cory’s doubts grew, and after reviewing surveillance footage, he says the truth came to light. The video allegedly showed daycare worker Yvette Thurston pushing a table into Clay, sending him to the floor, and then ignoring his distress.
“Nothing we saw was for the faint of heart, especially to such an innocent soul,” Cory shared in a Facebook post. Clay was treated at Memorial Hospital and Manor, where EMTs and nurses worked to both document his injuries and comfort the shaken toddler after what his father described as a “day of torture.”
The Charges
Thurston, 54, was arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated battery along with three counts of first-degree child abuse. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning confirmed she was fired immediately, and the church-affiliated daycare was shut down pending investigation.
Clay’s mother, Cassie, welcomed the closure, calling it “a step in the right direction” and thanking God that action was being taken.
Despite the severity of the charges, Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Rose-Emmons released Thurston on a $44,000 bond on August 16.
Parents and Public in Uproar
The ruling triggered an outpouring of outrage online. Parents blasted the decision, while the Weeks family described the ordeal as “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
“We had to live it and are still living it,” Cory wrote, warning other families not to dismiss unexplained injuries. “Don’t be fooled by ‘happy pictures’ the daycare sends — we received those, even as Clay was enduring a full day of torture.”
He added painfully: “This was his very first day. We trusted this facility, and from the start, that trust was shattered.”
Judge Faces Threats
The anger has grown so intense that District Attorney Joe Mulholland released a statement condemning threats made against Judge Rose-Emmons.
“Our judges deserve to perform their duties without fear for their safety. You may not agree with their decisions, but threatening them or their families is unacceptable,” he said, warning that his office would prosecute anyone making such threats.
Investigation Ongoing
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning has launched an official investigation, while Clay’s parents fear their son may not have been Thurston’s first victim.
“The severity of this violence makes us believe this wasn’t the first time,” Cory said.
As Clay heals at home with his older brother Wyatt, the Weeks family is urging parents everywhere to stay vigilant, ask questions, and never accept vague answers when a child comes home hurt.
