Final arguments and jury deliberations will begin at 8 AM Thursday in Christian County Circuit Court for a pair of former day care workers from First United Methodist Church, each facing related charges stemming from child abuse allegations following a December 2018 and January 2019 investigation.
For more than four hours Wednesday afternoon, Judge John Atkins, special prosecutor Blake Chambers and the jurors heard the defensive presentation and cross examination of Allison Simpson and Nina Morgan. Simpson faces 30 counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child, while Morgan is facing two counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child.
Simpson, defended by Eric Bearden, was one of many subject to this week’s on-the-record review of security footage gathered from the day care during those months in question. Many of the alleged actions were captured in these files, and at one point, Simpson tried to defend against the accusations.
Many times, Simpson indicated that the FUMC staff was overworked and put in difficult situations, made even harder by the number of children cared for in these classrooms.
In some filed professional development plans, however, Simpson told the court she never fully notified former pastor Paige Williams and former daycare director Abby Leach about these concerns.
Simpson’s level of education and comprehension of written materials, particularly training documents, was constantly questioned during examination, and it’s a theme that would return when Morgan took the stand.
Morgan’s daughter, Ashley, was called as a character and material witness. Though not implicated in any part of these investigations, she held memory and detail of the workplace after having worked there four years as a floater and teacher — right up until its closure in early 2019.
She discussed the CPR and 37-hour “binder” training required to work there, and added that the necessary care of the children varied in each classroom.
She also indicated that all of the children in the day care developed at different times and levels, and that it was hard to discern everything because of the rooms being together.
She had to answer questions about her mother’s education, and described how she often had to read the mail to her — as she made it to 10th grade and didn’t yet have a GED. But she also described a grandmother who took care of her grandchildren, and spent considerable time with her family.
Morgan, defended by Michael Thompson, was on the stand for nearly two hours, often overcome with emotion. She noted the child under her charge and part of this case was “her favorite,” and wept as videos were shown of her handle and care.
She confirmed that she and her co-workers knew they were being recorded, and repeatedly made known that she didn’t use the telephone often — and let Simpson handle any phone calls needed to the parents.
It was also made a point that maybe phone calls for child care weren’t always needed.
Once Morgan interviewed with detectives back in 2019, she said she knew the chain of command.
In those final days of her employment at FUMC, Morgan said she had nine to 10 kids under her purview at any given time.
Following multiple concerns of Thompson — perhaps unintentionally — leading Morgan, and some visible emotional exhaustion, Atkins called all lawyers into his chambers.
A decision on each defendant’s case could come today, but may not — considering the amount of evidence to discuss.
It was ruled in early June that Simpson, Morgan, Leach and Williams were not to be tried together for related offenses. Leach and Williams are each charged with eight counts of first-degree complicity to criminal abuse of a child under 12.
Leach and Williams are set for trial in August.
