UPDATE: April 18 at 12:25 p.m.
New details have been released following an investigation into three Richmond daycare workers who are facing child abuse charges, according to documents.
According to court records, Theodrick Hersey, Jessica Houk, and Brooklyn Houk bonded out for $1,500 each on Friday morning. Their arraignments are set for May 6, 2025.
Conditions of their release are:
- Not to violate any laws
- No drugs or alcohol
- No contact with victim or witness
- No contact with minor children
- Not to be in caretaking role of juveniles
- Random drug testing
LEX 18 has also learned that Hersey is an employee at Fayette County Public Schools. FCPS says he has placed him on administrative leave due to the investigation.
Below is a full statement from FCPS:
Fayette County Public Schools is aware of the situation involving Theo Hersey. Due to the ongoing investigation and the confidential nature of personnel matters, we are limited in what we can share at this time. However, we can confirm that the employee has been placed on administrative leave. As always, our students' and staff's safety and well-being remain our highest priority.
-Dia Davidson-Smith, FCPS District Spokesperson
Original Story:
Three Richmond daycare employees have been arrested and are facing several child abuse charges, according to arrest citations.
The citations list that Theodrick Hersey, Brooklyn Houk, and Jessica Houk are each charged with five counts of first-degree criminal abuse- child 12 or under, one count of knowingly obstructing investigation/report of child abuse/neglect, and three counts of failure to report child depend neglect/abuse.
According to the citations, the charges stem from an investigation by the Richmond Police Department into "child abuse and neglect at A Step Ahead Daycare and The Kid's Club Childcare Center."
The citations state that the investigation began on March 27, 2025 into "four criminal abuse cases involving physical assault of children and one criminal abuse of a child."
According to the citations, the employee accused of the abuse was "written up for hitting children in March of 2023," and Theodrick, Brooklyn, and Jessica reportedly "knew of the conduct of the employee" but "allowed her to remain employed thereby intentionally causing five additional children to be abused by that worker."
Further, police note, according to the citations, that the three "knew of child abuse and neglect in their daycare centers."
The citations state that multiple employees report that the three were "part of a plan to cover up the truth of a child getting out of the building, which resulted in one employee giving false statements to state investigators but later retracting and telling the truth."
In the citations for Brooklyn and Jessica, police note that there were reportedly "text messages" in which they "can be seen telling employees to lie to state investigators about a child getting out of their daycare center, undetected, and almost accessing a major roadway."
Theodrick, Brooklyn, and Jessica were "arrested during the execution of a search warrant at their residence," according to the citations.
They are booked in the Madison County Detention Center.
The arrests come after LEX 18 previously reported that daycare worker, 25-year-old Elizabeth Thomas, was arrested and "admitted to often losing her temper while working at A Step Ahead Daycare," a citation read.
