This isn’t the first time abuse claims have been made against Crème de la Crème or any daycare. On Friday, Oct. 7, Judge Glenda Hatchett and The Hatchett Firm, PC will hold a press conference to announce that a civil lawsuit has been filed in the State Court of Fulton County, Georgia, against Crème de la Crème Inc. et al. located in Alpharetta. The Hatchett Firm represents the parents of four children who experienced both physical and mental abuse during their enrollment in Marquita Brown Opeloyeru’s kindergarten classroom at Crème de la Crème.
The lawsuit alleges that on Aug. 10, 2015, their client’s children were enrolled into Crème de la Crème where they entrusted the faculty and administration to supervise and care for their children, while enrolled in Opeloyeru’s kindergarten class. Over the course of a month, defendant Opeloyeru would lock children in a dark windowless bathroom, in her classroom, for extended periods of time with the lights turned off. This was known as going to “jail.” Defendant Opeloyeru forced children to cry in agonizing terror, and beg for assistance in order to be released. Other students were threatened with the same form of discipline if they attempted to release their classmates from “jail.”
Although it is reported that surveillance cameras were in Opeloyeru’s classroom, Crème de la Crème failed to take necessary actions to protect the children and did not acknowledge that there were problems until the alarmed parents brought it to the attention of administrators, defendant Colleen Paullet and defendant Allison Distel. Prior to the lawsuit being filed, the parents never received a satisfactory response to their concerns from the corporate office represented by defendant Pete Lungo after several contacts. Therefore, they were left with no alternative but to withdraw their children from the school, as did all the parents who had children in Defendant Opeloyeru’s classroom.
Defendant Opeloyeru’s heinous actions and the negligence of Crème de la Crème caused the children to suffer mental and physical harm resulting in severe emotional distress and anxiety that will impact them for years to come.
Crème de la Crème is one of the most prestigious early childhood education brands in Georgia and it is nationally established across the United States. In their core vision, Crème de la Crème’s representation to the public purports to guarantee parents and guardians that each faculty member understands that the quality of relationships a child experiences during their first five years of life have a “deep and lasting” impact on their future development. The parents relied on this representation that Crème de la Crème would guide faculty and administration as they provide warm, responsive care in a secure environment.
