Daycare Worker Charged In Baby Boy Assault: West Chester Police

WEST CHESTER, PA — A 58-year-old daycare worker has been charged with dropping a 10-month-old boy on his head on July 14 at United Methodist Children’s Center, 129 S. High St.

Susan Wright, 55, of East Goshen Township, is free on $75,000 bail Tuesday awaiting a preliminary hearing on charges of aggravated assault of a victim less than six and recklessly endangering a child.

Police said a witness reported that Wright started to put the child down, and was about 3 inches from the ground, when she dropped the boy on his head.

The boy was taken to Nemours Children’s Hospital, Wilmington, Del., where he was examined and stayed overnight, according to police.

Wright has taken a leave of absence at the childcare center, according to her attorney, Tom Bellwoar of West Chester.

Bellwoar said Tuesday that Wright has been a kindergarten and elementary school teacher for over 25 years and worked in the United Methodist Church child care center for seven years prior to the allegations.

“She has never once been accused of any wrongdoing or mistreatment of children and certainly has never been arrested before," Bellwoar said. “She disputes allegations in the criminal complaint and we look forward to clearing her name.”

According to an account of a witness at the daycare provided in the police complaint:

• A witness reported that she was in the baby’s room with Wright when the baby was acting fussy.
• Wright flipped the baby on his stomach and put a boppy pillow on his back.
• She covered the baby’s mouth while changing him.
• She then placed the baby 3 inches from the ground, before dropping the baby on his head.
• Wright then put the boy in a bouncy seat with a pacifier.
• The new director of the daycare noticed a bump on the boy's head. The boy's mother took her son to the hospital.