Kristi Parrish

thought her daughter was lying about being spanked in day care the afternoon

of Nov. 27.

Moments before,

the director of Early Stages Academy and Daycare had told Parrish about

the 8-year-old's misbehavior that day. Simone Reddick also denied the

spanking occurred, and Parrish planned to spank Kellsey herself when they

got home, although she never followed through on the threat.

Last week,

two State Court juries found the employee, Jeanette Brown, guilty of spanking

the child and Reddick guilty of attempting to cover up the spanking.

The two could

face further charges of perjury, after denying on the stand that the spanking

took place. Three other witnesses who worked at the center testified they

could hear the "pop" of the spanking throughout the facility.

State Court

Judge Fletcher Sams said he would consider bringing the perjury charges

against Reddick and Brown.

Sams put off

sentencing the two, scheduling the matter for first thing this morning

(the outcome will be posted at www.thecitizennews.com after the

hearing is concluded).

"I really

felt guilty," Parrish said of her first inclination to spank Kellsey

for lying. "But when you have a really convincing adult, you're going

to believe that person over a child."

Parrish didn't

investigate the matter thoroughly until an employee of the center approached

her in the parking lot three days later. Melody Clark told her, "I

think you need to look into this a little more," she said.

Soon after,

Sgt. Renee James of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department began her

investigation after Parrish presented the information to Magistrate Court

Judge A.K. Melear.

State Court

Solicitor-General Steve Harris said he prosecuted the cases because of

the attempted cover-up, even though there were no alleged physical injuries

to the child due to the spanking.

"Normally,

if I think it's a reasonable exercise of corporal punishment, I won't

prosecute," Harris said.

Several employees

of the center testified that Reddick intimidated them into writing statements

that Brown did not spank the 8-year-old victim, Harris said.

When Reddick

was originally questioned by James, she said she had no knowledge of the

spanking incident, Harris said.

State child

care regulations forbid day care workers from using any form of corporal

punishment on children in their care. In December, the Child Care Licensing

Division of the Department of Human Resources informed Reddick that she

was not allowed to enter the facility when children were present. An acting

director was originally appointed, but the center was later closed permanently.

Reddick was

found not guilty of an additional charge of simple battery for allegations

that she grabbed the child by the arm and pulled her down the hall.

Parrish said

she thought justice had been served by the convictions handed down by

the jury.

"I think

Steve [Harris] did a real good job," she said.

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