Erik S. HanleyMilwaukee Journal Sentinel
The parents of a 1-year-old boy are seeking justice for their child who they say ingested cocaine at a KinderCare in Oak Creek.
A 24-year-old woman has been charged with cocaine possession in relation to the incident and KinderCare confirmed the teacher is no longer employed.
The family is looking for more ― specifically child neglect or abuse charges.
Kimberly Hopson said she first noticed a bruise on her infant son Prince’s nose after picking him up May 3 from KinderCare, 7677 S. Howell Ave. She said staff claimed to not know what happened.
Less than a week later, on May 9, Hopson was notified by staff at KinderCare of a red abrasion on Prince’s eye which turned into a black eye.
“It could have been a highchair, that’s all they said,” Hopson told reporters during a news conference on May 29 in front of KinderCare.
On May 14 and 15 Prince was ill and vomiting. It was on the 15th that Hopson noted multiple bruises on her son and blood on his buttocks from a scratch. He also had an abrasion in his mouth.
Hopson took her son to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin where cocaine metabolites were later identified in the infant’s urine, authorities said.
Prince has since been sleepless, irritable, crying excessively and the family said he’s been throwing up a lot.
AttorneyB’Ivory LaMarr, who is representing Hopson and the family, spoke during the news conference, calling this report disturbing and a “grave and unconscionable betrayal of trust” no parent should face.
“Kimberly trusted KinderCare with her most precious gift,” he said.
Hopson, holding back tears, told reporters she never thought this would be her life. She thought her son would be safe, but said now she keeps thinking about how scared he must’ve been.
Prince’s father, James Staples, said they put their trust in KinderCare and “it’s betrayal, it’s betrayal at its finest.”
LaMarr thanked hospital staff who “didn’t just stop at the bruises and abrasions” but in doing additional tests uncovered the cocaine in the boy’s urine. He said it’s because of their actions that other potential child victims could be protected from abuse.
“This is not just about one child,” he said.
LaMarr highlighted the number 23, saying May 23 was Prince’s 1-year birthday, but also noted this KinderCare location has 23 violations on record.
Those 23 violations took place between March 28, 2022, and April 10, 2024, according to online records from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
A 24-year-old woman charged with cocaine possession
Police arrested a 24-year-old woman on May 22 after an Oak Creek Police K-9 found cocaine in an employee’s bag in the infant room of KinderCare and forwarded requests of felony charges of child neglect and possession of cocaine charges to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.
Passion Watson, 24, of Cudahy, has been charged with misdemeanor possession of cocaine and has a no contact order with KinderCare and three individuals, according to online court records. She pleaded not guilty May 25.
LaMarr said he and the family are focused on the neglect charge, saying that should be pursued with the utmost vigor.
“This is not just neglect,” LaMarr said. “We believe this is abuse.”
KinderCare releases a statement
A KinderCare representative confirmed the teacher involved is no longer a KinderCare employee.
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the children in our care," KinderCare said in a statement to the Journal Sentinel. "We work hard to create healthy spaces for work, play and learning. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are prohibited in our centers and programs."
KinderCare said all its teachers and staff must complete a state and federal background check as a condition of hiring.
Additionally, KinderCare told the Journal Sentinel it will cover "any out-of-pocket medical expenses the child's family incurs as a result of this situation."
"As soon as police informed us of their findings, we immediately closed the classroom and hired a professional cleaning crew to give our entire center a deep clean," a KinderCare representative said. "We’vealso notified families in the impacted classroom and connected with the health department and state licensing to see if they had additional guidance."
What should happen at KinderCare?
LaMarr said changes need to be made, such as the installation of surveillance cameras as the standard for child care facilities. He said without them is "how the abuse continues unsupervised and unchecked.”
He suggested it might be a good idea for the facility to shut down until those cameras are installed.
While saying a lawsuit isn’t off the table, LaMarr reiterated the focus of the family right now is justice for Prince regarding the pending neglect charges against the employee.
Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on X @Redheadliner.
