Texoma Day Care Under Investigation for Drugging Babies
BRYAN COUNTY -- A Texoma day care is under investigation after the Bryan County Sheriff's Office says the owner and her staff gave infants Benadryl to make them sleep.
"We've been investigating Sue's Day Care here in Durant for alleged child abuse charges for giving children Benadryl to assist them to go to sleep at time," said Jeff Wilson, an investigator with the Bryan County Sheriff's Office.
He is recommending the Bryan County District Attorney's Office files charges against the owner, Beverly Sue Stair. He said a former employee contacted the Department of Human Services to alert them about the drugs being administered, and now more employees are coming forward.
"They've come and confessed to what was going on in the day care and all stated that they were ordered to give this by the owner," Wilson said.
Seven pint-sized victims, including the six-month-old son of Leslee Meade have been identified.
"My heart sunk," she said.
Benadryl should not be given to infants unless ordered by a doctor.The drug can cause small children to stop breathing.
The daycare was shut down Friday by DHS pending its own investigation. None of the children are thought to have sustained serious injuries.
"What she was doing was messing with everybody's lives," Meade said. "Had something happened it would have changed everybody's lives forever."
Wilson said he expects to hand the case over to the district attorney by the end of the week. The daycare cannot re-open until DHS completes its investigation.