ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A new state inspection into Here We Grow Early Care and Education in Webster Groves reveals past concerns about an employee’s behavior.
Employee Christopher Titus was arrested and charged with Sodomy and Child Molestation last month.
At the time, the charges were related to one victim; however, new charges claim there is a second victim.
Amber Buchanan’s daughter was in her first year of preschool at Here We Grow when Titus was arrested.
“She never returned after that day,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan is now learning of new allegations, though, after Missouri’s Dept. Of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released its investigation into the matter.
The DESE report says Titus, who opened the center every morning, was accused of inappropriately touching a child as far back as 2019.
“My daughter was an early drop-off kid. So, if there is neglect going on, the only time she was in the center by herself with a teacher it was him and I never questioned that because in my head, they’re our safe space,” Buchanan said.
The DESE report also revealed other potential victims. One parent told the inspector that her child told her that three years ago, Titus rubbed her back at naptime and told her that her cot had to be placed in a spot where the cameras could not see.
Also in the report, a staff member said she saw Titus in the girls’ restroom with a child and described similar actions mentioned by one of the other victims.
“Why was he still there? Why was he there for 7 years? Why did the teachers notice things wrong with him taking little girls to the bathroom and nobody said anything? Are they mandated reporters?” Buchanan asked after reading the report.
FOX 2 asked a mandated reporting trainer about when a day care worker is required to issue a report to the child abuse hotline.
“All you have to have is what we call a reasonable cause to suspect. That’s really just a reasonable suspicion that a child has been a victim of abuse or neglect or could be subject to abuse or neglect or in a situation that could result in abuse or neglect,” said Lori Lindsey, Crisis Intervention Specialist at the Child Advocacy Center.
DESE told FOX 2 that the 2019 accusation was reported but was unsubstantiated.
It is unclear if any other concerns were ever reported to the child abuse hotline, but DESE says there were no other complaints filed that would have been investigated by its Office of Childhood.
The state is now moving to revoke Here We Grow’s license, claiming the day care knew of previous allegations and concerns. Here We Grow’s director sent FOX 2 the response that she had filed with DESE.
It says in part, “The allegations involving Christopher came as a complete shock and surprise to us at Here We Grow, LLC. Here We Grow, LLC has always been and continues to be committed to the safety and well-being of the children we are entrusted to care for.”
Another thing revealed by the DESE investigation is that Titus is the daycare owners’ brother-in-law.
On Friday, Here We Grow appealed the state’s decision to revoke its license. They say Titus passed annual background checks and that DESE deemed him eligible for employment in a childcare facility as recently as August.