Cross Lanes childcare worker accused of hitting and spitting on children with special needs

CROSS LANES, W.Va. (WCHS) — A daycare worker at a Cross Lanes daycare is facing three charges after officers said they found evidence the woman had hit special needs children and spit on a four-year-old child.

Amber Seiler, 29, of Kenova is charged with two felonies, in addition to a misdemeanor count of battery and assault on a disabled child. The crime carries a possible prison sentence of one to five years. These crimes carry a prison sentence of up to one year.

Seiler told a magistrate during her arraignment Thursday evening in Kanawha County Magistrate Court that she is currently residing in Poca.

Detectives with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation on Oct. 24 after a mother with a child in Seiler’s classroom posted audio on Facebook that was allegedly recorded in the classroom of the Cross Lanes Child Care and Learning Center at 5453 Big Tyler Rd.

Detective J.R. Coleman said he spoke with a former employee at the facility who had an audio recording she recorded on her cell phone on June 28. The former employee told Coleman that the audio was captured when Seiler spit on a four-year-old girl in class and she witnessed the incident.

The former employee also told the detective that several times during the summer strike, she witnessed Seiler holding a four-year-old girl with special needs in her mouth and yelling at her during nap time.

The woman also said she saw Seiler hit a four-year-old child in the mouth in September and witnessed similar behavior against the child and other children between April and September of this year.

Ashley Shaffer, who shared the original Facebook post thousands of times, said she can rest easy knowing Seiler can’t hurt her child or anyone else’s. Shaffer said the classroom was made up entirely of four-year-old children.

“I’m very grateful to have such a great platform on social media. We all came together and over 50,000 people watched my video. Without social media, I honestly don’t feel like justice would be served,” shared Shaffer to Eyewitness News.

Shaffer also believes that the director of the facility should be held accountable and that it should be closed.

On Friday evening, the West Virginia Department of Human Services said it had launched an “immediate investigation” into allegations of misconduct posted on social media.

The DoHS Bureau for Social Services said it had sent investigators to the facility.

“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of children in West Virginia long-term care facilities. We take these allegations very seriously and are committed to taking swift and rigorous action based on the findings,” Cynthia Persily, secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services, said in the news release. “Our team is committed to ensuring that all healthcare facilities meet the highest standards of safety and conduct.”

The DoHS said it will determine any necessary actions based on its findings, including further involvement of law enforcement agencies or the closure of the facility.

The agency urged the public to report any case of suspected child abuse or neglect directly through the Central Abuse and Neglect Intake by calling 1-800-352-6513.

In June 2021, a DHHR official said a report of abuse in the institution by another employee was not substantiated after the woman was charged with battery and accused of pushing a 2-year-old child to the ground and grabbing his face.

“There was no substantiation of the formal abuse complaint against Cross Lanes Childcare and Learning Center by the Institutional Investigative Unit (IIU),” said Jessica Holstein, deputy director of communications at the time.

According to court records, Jacklyn Williams was found not guilty of the charges in February 2022 after a magistrate’s court trial.

Seiler is being held at the South Central Regional Jail on a $50,000 cash or surety bond, in addition to two $1,500 cash or surety bonds for the crimes. If she does get bail, she will have to be in house arrest and not have contact with minors.

Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 6 at 1 p.m