Latest news with #LillyGarofola
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Former Mass. preschool teacher charged in connection with 'slamming children into tables'
A Hull woman is facing 16 criminal charges in connection with physically abusing five students at the Scituate preschool she taught at until recently, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday. Lilly Garofola, 29, has been charged with four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and 12 counts of assault and battery, according to court records and the district attorney's office. The alleged offenses took place at Little Steps Learning Center & Child Care on several different days between the dates of April 15 and May 12. Garofola pleaded not guilty to the charges during her arraignment in Hingham District Court on Wednesday, according to court records. Neither the preschool nor Garofola's lawyer immediately responded to a request for comment on the allegations Wednesday afternoon. Scituate police, the district attorney's office and the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families began a joint investigation into Garofola after Scituate police received reports from concerned parents and Little Steps staff that she may have engaged in 'inappropriate physical conduct,' the district attorney's office said in a press release. The investigation revealed that, in the last two months, Garofola assaulted five of the preschool's students during school hours, the district attorney's office said. The alleged abuse includes instances where she pushed children to the ground and slammed them into walls, tables and chairs. Most of the abuse was caught on security camera footage, the district attorney's office said. Garofola has also been accused of verbally abusing students on multiple occasions. The former teacher was suspended from her job at the preschool, but later resigned, the district attorney's office said. Scituate police arrested her Wednesday morning without incident. Garofola was ordered held on $1,000 bail with release conditions that she not interact with children under the age of 16 or have any contact with witnesses in the case, the district attorney's office said. A judge denied the prosecution's motion that she be held pending a dangerousness hearing, as well as its recommendation that she be held on $50,000 bail. 'At this time, there is no indication of further immediate risk to students or the community,' the press release reads. 'The preschool is cooperating fully with investigators and has taken internal measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its students.' Families with children enrolled at the preschool have been notified of the allegations against Garofola, the district attorney's office said. Anyone who believes their child may have had inappropriate contact with Garofola or has additional information relevant to the case is asked to call the Scituate Police Department at 781-545-1212. Mass. couple to plead guilty to Ponzi scheme that netted more than $3.2 million Agreement reached in lawsuit over Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center assault Ex-Harvard Medical School morgue manager pleads guilty in stolen body parts case Mass. man faces slew of charges after multiple hit-and-run crashes Heavy police presence in Canton amid search for person who could be armed Read the original article on MassLive.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- CBS News
Scituate preschool teacher accused of physically assaulting several young students
A former preschool teacher in Scituate, Massachusetts was arraigned Wednesday for allegedly assaulting several young children at the school. Lilly Garofola, a 29-year-old from Hull, pleaded not guilty in Hingham District Court to four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and 12 counts of assault and battery, the Plymouth County district attorney said. Reports from parents and staff members District Attorney Tim Cruz said several parents and staff members from the Little Steps Learning Center approached police in the past several weeks with reports of "inappropriate physical contact" involving Garofola. According to the police report, one mother reported seeing red discoloration that could have been bruising on her child's collarbone and shoulder. Physical and verbal abuse accusations Between April and May, Garofola is accused of physically assaulting five children during school hours. Garofola allegedly pushed and slammed children to the ground and into seats and slammed them into tables, chairs and walls. According to the police report, she squeezed a child's face and screamed at them for whining and "violently" grabbed another child's wrists. Garofola is also accused of verbally abusing children at the school and screaming at them. Garofola was taken into custody in Scituate Wednesday morning. She was suspended from her job before resigning. On Wednesday, a judge set Garofola's bail at $1,000 with the condition that she have no contact with children under 16 and no contact with any witnesses in the case. The DA said most of the incidents were caught on surveillance video and the preschool is fully cooperating with the investigation. They're asking if any other families believe their children were assaulted by Garofola to call the Scituate Police Department at 781-545-1212.
