Westport police have charged a teacher at a daycare after investigating allegations of possible abuse or neglect of infants and three staff members who are accused of failing to report them to the state Department of Children and Family Services.
Police said they started the investigation on June 15 into allegations that a teacher in one of the infant classrooms moved the children about in an aggressive manner, kicked a ball at some of the babies and left the children crying for extended periods of time.
They identified the teacher as 44-year-old Suzette Virgo, of Bridgeport.
On Dec. 17, she was charged with risk of injury to a child, police said.
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Police said detectives investigating were led to believe that daycare center staff members -- Ayshia Jaeger, 41, of Norwalk; 42-year-old Ridhita Gupta, of Darien; and 24-year-old Kelleigh Cantiello, of Stratford -- were allegedly made aware of the possible abuse or neglect but failed to report it to the Department of Children and Family Services, which is required by law since all three are mandated reporters.
All three were charged with failure to report abuse or neglect by a mandated reporter.
Bond for Virgo was set at $50,000 and she is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 5.
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Jaeger, Gupta and Cantiello were released after posting 25,000 bond.
Jaeger is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 5. Gupta is scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 30 and Cantiello is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 4.
The arraignments are all scheduled Stamford Superior Court.
