A 3-year-old boy enrolled at LBJ&C Head Start in Jamestown slipped out of his classroom on May 7, made it all the way onto North Main Street and was found running in the road before anyone at the center realized he was gone. Drivers pulled over, got the child to a nearby parking lot and called authorities. The boy was taken back to the daycare, and two workers were later arrested and released on bond. State investigators have since flagged the center as noncompliant and ordered a series of safety upgrades.
How the child left the classroom
An affidavit reviewed by WVLT says security camera footage shows the boy slipping out of a classroom at about 10:55 a.m. while two employees were tied up with other tasks. The video and court records indicate staff did not notice he was missing for around four minutes. Investigators say roughly nine minutes passed from the time he left the room to the point he was picked up in the street.
State orders fixes and training
The Tennessee Department of Human Services later found the Jamestown center out of compliance and ordered a list of fixes, according to WATE. The agency directed the facility to install doorbell chimes, add safety gates at classroom exits and keep doors closed and secured. Staff are also slated to receive additional training on active supervision and child safety as part of the corrective plan.
Not the first supervision lapse this year
For Fentress County families, the story may feel uncomfortably familiar. In March, state investigators looked into a separate Jamestown daycare after a toddler walked outside and was left alone for at least 15 minutes. That center failed to report the incident in a timely way and resisted interviews with staff and children, WVLT reported.
Legal implications
Court records identify the two LBJ&C Head Start workers as Melinda D. Seay and Michelle Lynn Phillips, both charged with negligent child endangerment, according to WATE. Prosecutors are expected to review the case and decide whether to move forward with formal filings. Records show both employees were booked on May 28 and later released on bond.
About LBJ&C Head Start
LBJ&C Head Start operates multiple early-childhood programs in the Upper Cumberland region and lists the Jamestown facility among its sites on the program website, LBJ&C Head Start. The site provides contact details and information on services offered. As of the most recent reports, officials had not issued a public statement about the incident.
