Families of child abuse victims speak out following Pulaski daycare worker’s arrest

PULASKI, Tenn. (WKRN) — Victims’ families have started to speak out after disturbing allegations of child abuse inside a Middle Tennessee daycare.

On March 5, officers with the Pulaski Police Department filed charges against Erica Monique Coleman, 52, for simple assault following an investigation into child abuse allegations at Kids City USA.

A “follow-up investigation” was conducted and multiple victims experienced similar incidents involving Coleman. Coleman faces nearly 200 counts across various charges, including aggravated assault and child abuse/neglect/endangerment.

Heather McGill, parent of one of the victims, said now that allegations have started coming to light, they’re relieved Coleman has started to face charges. However, she’s angry at the teachers and facility knowing the abuse could have been prevented had it been reported.

“We’ve gone through several emotions. We’ve known about this since the investigation began, so we’ve had time to process a lot of this stuff,” McGill said. “Of course there’s rage. You’re angry at the teachers. You’re angry at the whole facility because people were seeing things happen and not reporting it, so a lot of it could have been prevented.”

McGill added that she was grateful for the Pulaski Police Department’s involvement with the case. Ultimately, McGill and other victims’ families hope to see the daycare shut down.