Former Cobb County daycare employee charged with cruelty to children

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A former daycare employee is in the Cobb County jail charged with cruelty to children. Twenty-four-year-old Misty Lanier has since been fired from Childtime Children's Center on Cobb Parkway. 

"I knew Cobb County police showed up and did an investigation, I didn't know the details of it," said one parent whose child goes to the daycare. 

Court documents show Lanier was captured on security cameras maliciously causing cruel or excessive physical or mental pain to a child at the facility. 

According to a warrant, on April 1, Lanier was seen on video "dropping the victim onto a cot, which the victim hits her head. Said accused then grabs the victim's head, pushing the victim's head down on to the cot, then turns her over from her stomach to her back forcefully, and continuously strikes the victim's back excessively." 

Over a span of almost 10 minutes, documents show Lanier continued to be violent against the child, including at one point where the little girl begins to sit up on the cot, and Lanier "shoves the victim onto the cot forcing the victim’s head to hit against the wall." 

"That's really, really sad, to trust your kids with people somewhere, and they treat them like that," said Eliza Dockery, who works near the daycare. 

Childtime released the following statement: 

"All of our staff members are expected to uphold our high standards of care. This staff member is no longer employed with Childtime. We remain committed to ensuring the health and safety of the children in our care and will continue to assist authorities in any way we can." 

The parents who talked to FOX 5 said they're glad the facility acted immediately. 

"My experience has been positive overall, and I'm hoping this was an unfortunate situation, just one bad apple," said one mom whose child goes to the daycare. 

Lanier was arrested April 18 and was not given a bond.