JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Brunswick day care center that was closed by the state after a 16-month-old baby choked and died on a piece of watermelon last week has field an appeal to reopen.
Kids Nest Learning Center appealed its emergency closure around 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The hearing will be held at the Office of State Administrative Hearings in Atlanta and will be sometime this week. OSAH has 48 hours in which to hold the hearing and the center could be open during this appeal process but it remains closed, an official said. The appeal will be heard 10 a.m. Thursday morning at OSAH offices.
The Glynn County Police Department said 16-month-old Jamal Bryant was rushed to the emergency room after choking on a watermelon on May 21. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning issued a closure order not long after.
According to the order, three staff members were seen talking to each other not near the children. The victim appeared in distress around 3:15 p.m. and approached the staff members. The staff members failed to render aid by American Red Cross pulmonary resuscitation guidelines and appeared "disorganized," the report said.
EMS responds eight minutes into the footage and departs five minutes later, the closure order stated. The victim began to breathe again after receiving professional care but was "minimally responsive." The victim died around 6 p.m.
“On Thursday, May 23, 2024, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning issued an intended order of emergency closure for The Kids Nest Learning Center ... This action follows the death of a one-year-old boy on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Kids Nest has 48 hours in which to appeal this decision before an administrative law judge with the Office of State Administrative Hearings. If not appealed, the center will remain closed and DECAL will have a maximum of 21 days to continue its investigation," according to a statement from Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Chief Communications Officer Reg Griffin.
Kids Nest Learning Center, located at 419 Benedict Road, could not be reached for comment. According to posts on social media, the center told parents it would be closed for the rest of the week.
The Glynn County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
In 2022, former Kids Nest Director Manjeet Grant was arrested and charged with battery after she was accused of slapping a 3-year-old girl and knocking her to the ground, according to a police report. She was also charged with cruelty to children.
Families who need help call 1-877-ALL GA KIDS or go to www.qualityrated.org.