Johnson County day care and school leaders were warned of worker’s child abuse: Lawsuit
The parents of a child allegedly abused by a Johnson County woman have sued the day care she worked for, as well as the school and church associated with the business.
The parents of the child, who is referred to in court documents as “E.M.,” are suing Olivet Baptist Church, Shawnee Mission Christian School and Shawnee Mission Christian School Wee Care for failing to protect their child.
The lawsuit filed in Johnson County District Court March 6 alleges the child was physically harmed by Rachel Schrader, a 25-year-old from Kansas City, Kansas, who was an employee at Shawnee Mission Christian School Wee Care in Mission. Surveillance video captured Schrader kicking, slamming, slapping and shaking babies, according to court documents.
According to the suit, the school, day care and church were made aware of specific instances of abuse in the infant room in December 2020. However, a hidden camera was allegedly not placed in the infant room until late February 2021.
The lawsuit says a coworker notified the day care that she suspected the woman was abusive, and in early March 2021, she told upper management Schrader should not be allowed to work alone in the infant room.
On March 26, Schrader visibly injured another child.
Schrader pleaded guilty on March 9 to physically abusing four children under the age of 1, according to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office. Her next court date is set for May 3.
Prosecutors said Schrader harmed the children at least 170 times from March 2 to March 26 in 2021, in one instance allegedly kicking an infant in the chest after the other teacher left the room.
On another occasion, she was seen “violently putting a child on the floor” with one arm before kicking him in the head. During another, she kicked, slapped and pushed a baby to the floor while the baby struggled with a bottle before smothering him with a bib for a few seconds. She then allegedly kicked and slammed a child onto the floor until he began to scream and cry.
Criminal charges against Schrader specify four different children she allegedly abused.
According to the lawsuit, “employees, including Rachel Schrader, committed individual acts of physical abuse on E.M.”
No other workers were specifically named in the suit.
Schrader was arrested June 3 and released on bond the following day.
Both the defendants and plaintiffs declined to comment on the lawsuit.
