A former Cedar Fork KinderCare employee facing seven counts of assault and battery against children in her care walked out of a Henrico County courtroom this week with permission to take her own daughter trick-or-treating and spend Thanksgiving with extended family. Bethany Davis, 33, appeared before a judge in Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on Friday for a bond hearing that loosened restrictions keeping her away from children under 12.
Bond Restriction Relaxed Ahead of Holidays
Davis had been barred from contact with any children under 12, apart from her own, while awaiting trial, according to WTVR CBS 6. Her attorney, Will Smith, asked the judge to lift that restriction so Davis could take her daughter trick-or-treating on Halloween and spend time with extended family on Thanksgiving, according to WRIC ABC 8News. The judge granted the request, modifying Davis's bond so she may now spend time with her daughter and other children in her family, as long as another adult is present and supervising.
The judge said the supervision requirement was meant to protect both Davis and the public, per the station's report. Davis is charged with seven counts of assault and battery, one for each child she allegedly abused while working at the daycare on Cedar Fork Road. She no longer works at KinderCare, her attorney said.
Prosecutors Point to Lasting Effects on Children
The Commonwealth opposed easing the restriction, pointing to the prolonged period of time Davis spent working with children during the alleged assaults as a factor in why the bond condition was established in the first place. Prosecutors also said the alleged abuse left lasting effects, including behavioral changes, even though the children were not physically marked, per the same account.
Davis's attorney countered that the children involved had no physical markings, bruises, or long-term damage, and said Davis had begun seeing a therapist. The allegations, which stem from a Henrico Police investigation, describe pinching, flicking and pulling the hair of children in Davis's care between April 1 and June 30, according to an earlier report from WRIC ABC 8News. KinderCare has said it terminated Davis's employment once it learned of the allegations in mid-June, and she was released at the time on a $2,500 bond.
Director's Conviction Tied to the Same Allegations
The case has already produced one conviction connected to the allegations against Davis. Laressa Jefferson, director of Cedar Fork KinderCare, was found guilty earlier this month of one misdemeanor count of failure to report abuse and neglect. A related report from WTVR CBS 6 noted Jefferson was found guilty on one of two counts and fined $500 as required by state law, while the judge found her not guilty on a separate count tied to an April allegation, concluding she lacked reason to suspect abuse after Davis denied it and no other witness confirmed it. A Child Protective Services worker testified that another KinderCare employee reported concerns about Davis's conduct on June 10, according to the same report.
Davis is scheduled to appear in court next on December 14, according to online court records cited by WRIC ABC 8News. Until then, the modified bond allows her limited, supervised contact with children in her own family during the holiday season, even as the underlying assault and battery charges remain pending.
