Two former employees with Emporia State’s Center for Early Childhood Education were in Lyon County District Court for pretrial Monday morning.
Lyon County Attorney Marc Goodman tells KVOE News that Keely Persinger, the former CECE director was approved for diversion per state statute. That means if Persinger fulfills all the requirements of her diversion, the charges against her will be dismissed. Persinger is charged with a count of failing to report suspected abuse or neglect.
Former CECE staff member Kimberly Schneider faces five counts of child endangerment. Her pretrial hearing was allowed to be continued to Aug. 20.
Both Persinger and Schneider were charged in May after a lengthy investigation by the Lyon County Attorney’s Office, which followed a related investigation by the Kansas Department for Children and Families that became public in April 2017. Information online through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment alleged lack of supervision, improper exposure to heat during a summer activity, lack of documentation for staff credentials and lack of records for specific drills in several incidents from 2014 to 2016.
Separately, four families have filed suit against Emporia State and the center, alleging physical and emotional abuse of four preschool-aged children by Schneider. It also charges ESU, the center and Persinger with negligence, negligent supervision and negligent retention.
