A South Jersey family says their 10-month-old daughter wound up with a marijuana vape pen in her mouth at the Malvern School of Voorhees, after a staff member allegedly dropped the device in the infant room. Stephanie and Sean Burns say they pulled their children out of the center and have now taken the matter to federal court.
The Burns family shared their account exclusively with CBS Philadelphia. They say the center's director called them in July, crying, to report that the incident had occurred and that staff told them the vape pen fell out of an employee's pocket in the infant room. About a week later, the parents say the day care allowed them to view three minutes of surveillance footage that shows their daughter crawling, pulling up on a shelf and then holding the device in her mouth. They say the school would not let them record the clip or keep a copy. "It was in and out of her mouth a few times," Stephanie Burns said.
Parents' lawsuit and court records
The Burns family has sued in federal court. The complaint was filed last fall and, according to court records, was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in January 2026. The filings name The Malvern School of Voorhees and corporate partners BrightPath Kids and Busy Bees North America as defendants, according to the court docket. Justia lists the case caption and recent filings.
Where this happened and the center's response
The Malvern School of Voorhees is licensed to serve infants through age 13 and is listed at 515 Centennial Boulevard in Voorhees, according to the New Jersey Department of Children and Families licensed-centers list. When contacted about the Burns family's account, the Malvern School did not provide a statement, CBS Philadelphia reports.
Broader safety context
Unintentional pediatric exposures to cannabis products, especially edibles and concentrated vape liquids, have risen sharply in recent years, and poison centers and pediatric hospitals have reported more calls and visits involving young children, a study in the journal Pediatrics found. Health experts say secure storage and keeping adult products out of pockets or reach are key prevention steps as states navigate legalized cannabis markets.
The Burns family says their daughter is OK and that they are monitoring her for any long-term effects. They say they want other parents and child care centers to learn from their experience as the case moves forward in court.
