A family made a startling discovery when checking their CCTV for their child's missing shoe and found a daycare worker allegedly grabbing a girl by the neck. Geraline Browning, 46, was charged after she was reportedly caught throttling a child by grabbing them by the neck, shaking them and pushing them down onto the ground. Browning allegedly carried out the shocking abuse at the YMCA Childcare Development Center at Northwest Elementary School in Pflugerville, in Texas.
The abuse allegedly dished out by Browning was uncovered in February last year after school officials examined CCTV footage as he searched for the missing shoe. In the first known report of abuse, Browning allegedly attacked the girl on February 21, 2024. In the video she was seen grabbing the girl by her arm then held the same child at the neck and shaking her on two occasions. The incident prompted the investigation of other video of Browning where more alleged abuse was targeted at several children aged between two and three.
In one clip, Browning reportedly was seen grabbing a grill at the neck and her chest before taking her to a napping area and placing her face-down on a mat on February 7. In another incident, Browning grabbed a child at the neck for six seconds as she berated them on February 12. Just eight days later, Browning reportedly filmed grabbing a child at the neck as she stood behind them and turned them around before forcing them to the ground. That same day, Browning is alleged to have grabbed the same child at the neck and her collarbone with both hands then aggressively forcing them to the floor.
Browning was charged with five counts of injury to a child in March with families having filed a lawsuit against the YMCA of Central Texas last month. they accused it of having not uncovered the incidents, KVUE reported. Their attorney Russel Button told the network: "All of these shocking admissions that have come to light was confirmed by surveillance footage, which showed and exposed a caregiver's pattern of disturbing and dangerous discipline methods against 2- and 3-year-old toddlers. It's heart-wrenching, and it's just quite frankly – it's alarming, and it needs to be stopped.".
The victims' lawsuit is seeking damages in excess of $1million (£805,448) and has claimed Browning was not fired until the Plugerville Independent School District (ISD) Police became involved in the case. The YMCA has denied the claim and told local media Browning was immediately suspended when they learned about the allegations. A YMCA spokesperson said it had reviewed "evidence of physical aggression directed at several of our students," and had terminated Browning's employment contract.
