Two former preschool workers in Clermont County now carry criminal convictions after pleading no contest to child-endangering charges, capping off a case that has rattled local families. A judge entered the convictions and set sentencing for September. Prosecutors say the allegations center on physical abuse and extended restraints of students, and the fallout has already led to daycare license surrenders and terminations from employment.
The women, identified in court records as teacher Lori Reeves and paraprofessional Melissa Tellep, entered no-contest pleas to child-endangering counts. In court, prosecutors alleged the pair restrained preschoolers for long stretches, kicked children, and that Reeves carried a child upside down by the ankles and struck another in the mouth. Both lost their jobs and turned in their daycare licenses, according to WLWT.
The Clermont Northeastern Schools preschool staff directory lists Reeves as a preschool teacher and Tellep as a paraprofessional and shows the program’s Owensville location. The district’s posted staff page offers a public record of their roles and contact information, per Clermont Northeastern Schools.
Charges and what’s next
After the no-contest pleas, the judge entered convictions for both women, who are scheduled to return for sentencing in September. Prosecutors have told the court that each defendant could face up to 18 months in jail, according to WLWT. The judge will decide the final penalties at the September hearing.
Local context and oversight
Under Ohio law, endangering-children charges can be handled as misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the level of harm and the circumstances, which in turn shapes possible sentences, as set out in the Ohio Revised Code. State regulations also allow child-care officials to suspend or revoke licenses without a prior hearing when an investigation shows children face a serious safety risk, according to state code. This case comes amid other recent childcare prosecutions in the area, earlier this year, a former Rainbow Child Care employee in Clermont County was charged with child endangering, as reported by WCPO.
The criminal pleas close out the immediate prosecution phase but leave several threads unresolved, including sentencing, any potential civil claims, and further administrative moves by state regulators. Families and community members who want to track what happens next can watch for the September court hearing and monitor public state licensing records for updates.
