Two former Robins Air Force Base daycare workers were sentenced Wednesday to six months in jail for verbally and physically abusing toddlers in their care.
Antanesha Mone Fritz and Zhanay Kiana Flynn pleaded guilty May 9, 2023, to cruelty to children in the second degree in exchange for having the rest of their charges dismissed. Both expressed remorse to federal Judge C. Ashley Royal Wednesday in hopes of being placed on probation, but were told it was “not appropriate.”
Both of them assisted the government in its child abuse investigation at Robins Air Force Base so their sentence was reduced from 12 months to six with three years of supervised release, according to their plea agreements.
Flynn’s attorney, Timothy Saviello, told Royal that she welcomed the opportunity to “confront her own conduct,” and that she actively worked through therapy to avoid the situation from happening again.
“I truly loved what I did,” said Flynn. “I loved caring for children. Caregiving was a big part of my life.”
Other than children, Flynn also said she took care of her mother when she got older. After she couldn’t be with her mother in her death, she said she “lost herself” and became somebody she didn’t recognize. She credited her children for saving her life and her fiance for supporting her through a difficult time.
Fritz apologized to the judge and mentioned her cooperation with the government.
Fritz: ‘Misconduct was normal’
Flynn and Fritz “routinely abused the children in their care by various means and methods,” according to the plea agreement.
Both women encouraged and coached the children to fight one another and later rewarded them with hugs or pats on the back, according to the plea agreement. When children fought each other for their approval, Flynn and Fritz did not intervene. They also sprayed cleaning solutions onto children’s faces and put them in small storage cubbies in an attempt to discipline them.
The plea agreement also details other forms of abuse from Flynn and Fritz, like encouraging other children to torment the ones sitting in the cubbies and throwing toys at children. On one occasion, Flynn kicked a child into the wall of the room hard enough that “it shook the frame of the CCTV camera recording the events inside the room.”
“Together, Flynn and Fritz created an environment that caused relentless distress to the minor children in their care,” the plea agreement said. “They caused cruel and excessive mental and physical pain to the toddlers that had been entrusted to their safekeeping, and they did so on purpose.
“The pain caused to the toddlers is visible from their cries recorded on video, as well as from the changes in their behavior as observed by their parents and caregivers.”
The document also mentioned Latona Mae Lambert, the director of the childcare center at Robins Air Force Base, entering the classroom on multiple occasions where children were crying or sitting inside the cubbies and not taking any action. Both Flynn and Fritz told investigators that, although their actions were “reportable,” Lambert did not care what happened or follow up on any reports she received, according to the plea agreement.
Fritz told investigators that “misconduct was normal” at the daycare center and “everyone knew about it,” according to the plea agreement.
Lambert was also charged alongside Flynn and Fritz. Her case went to trial earlier in the year where a jury found her guilty of failing to report child abuse at the daycare center. She hasn’t been sentenced yet.
Lawsuit filed over the abuse
A federal lawsuit was filed in April by an anonymous family whose child was subjected to abuse by Flynn and Fritz at the daycare center. The case is on pause as it awaits a ruling from an older, similar lawsuit.
The older lawsuit was dismissed after Judge Marc Treadwell said they didn’t believe the government was liable for the abuse. However, he acknowledged the abuse.
“The conduct alleged here is outrageous,” said Treadwell in his ruling. “Thus far, two government employees have pled guilty to the ‘care’ they provided to the plaintiffs’ children. Perhaps those children should be afforded a remedy, but none is provided by the Federal Tort Claims Act.”
The family appealed the decision and will present their argument on Nov. 18 in the U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit in Atlanta.
Source Agencies
