Lawsuit against Kent Island daycare follows staffer’s child assault conviction

Two families are suing a Kent Island daycare after a caregiver was convicted and sentenced for assaulting children and the owner was charged with failing to report child abuse.

Timothy and Amber Larsen, of Anne Arundel County, and Tina and Nicholas Peter, of Queen Anne’s County, last month sued Kiddie Academy of Kent Island, its owners and staffer Wendy Jones, alleging security footage showed Jones kicking, pushing and grabbing their kids.

Jones in September was sentenced to 18 months after pleading guilty to three counts of misdemeanor second-degree assault against children.

“This is the most outrageous set of circumstances I have ever encountered,” Scott Snyder, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, stated in a press release.

“We have direct video evidence showing the child abuse. The owners were aware of what was happening and did nothing. They turned a blind eye. Instead of protecting children, they chose silence and concealment.”

Much of the complaint is based on facts established in Jones’s criminal case, including a report by the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office.

Dana Barnhart, the daycare’s manager and co-owner, was charged in April with failing to report child abuse or neglect. Her case was sent to the stet docket, indefinitely postponing her prosecution on the condition that she have no direct childcare or supervisory role and that the facility undergo monthly visits by state regulators.

In February, the state forced Kiddie Academy of Kent County to disenroll all children under 2 years old. A spokesperson for the Maryland State Department of Education confirmed the sanctions and monthly monitoring, and added that there were complaint inspections in February, April and June.

The daycare’s director, Sarah Moorefield, declined to comment. The defense lawyers who represented Jones and Barnhart in their criminal cases did not respond to requests for comment. The defendants’ attorneys in the civil case are not yet listed in Maryland Judiciary Case Search.

In February 2025, the complaint states, video showed Jones pushing the Larsens’ infant daughter in the chest, causing her to fall, then grabbing her by the arm and forcing her to sit down.

In December 2024, the complaint says Jones kicked the Peters’ daughter, a toddler, to wake her up, then pulled her by the arm and “yank(ed)” her chair away from a table.

The lawsuit alleges that management failed to conduct an adequate background check on Jones, which would have shown that she had been disciplined for similar conduct at a previous job. It also alleges that Barnhart allowed Jones to continue in her role despite knowing of the abuse, and fired the staffer who reported Jones to law enforcement. That staffer sued Barnhart for wrongful termination; the case settled. Her attorney declined to comment.

“Parents place their trust in those who care for our most vulnerable, our children,” Queen Anne’s County Sheriff Gary Hofmann stated in a press release after Jones was sentenced.

“When that trust is broken, it sends a profound shock through the community. In this case, three innocent children, unable to speak for themselves, were harmed. However, the justice system ensured the responsible party was held accountable. This individual’s actions do not reflect the dedication of caregivers in our community and serve as a clear warning that this behavior will never be tolerated.”

Snyder, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, said he wants to use the discovery process to find “any skeletons in their closet,” namely who knew about the abuse and when. He said Kiddie Academy, which has hundreds of franchises, should be forced to pay a huge sum in punitive damages.

“This is the tip of the iceberg for them,” Snyder told The Daily Record. “It’s a case we can’t lose. It’s just a question of how much.”

This story has been updated.