Parents file lawsuit against Joplin day care operation

Oct. 24--A Jasper County couple has sued the owner and operators of a Joplin day care center, alleging negligence and child endangerment.

The suit, filed in Jasper County Circuit Court on Oct. 20, is that of Nick and Adrienne Weston, of Oronogo. In it, the couple allege that their 2-year-old son has developed severe separation anxiety, night terrors and fear of the dark after an abusive incident at the day care center he previously attended, Exploration Station Preschool and Childcare, 3132 E. 12th St.

The suit names three individuals -- Chad, Charyl and Kayla Copher -- as defendants. Chad Copher is listed as the owner of Exploration Station in organizing documents filed with the Missouri secretary of state's office, and Charyl and Kayla Copher are listed in the suit as the director and assistant director, respectively, of the school. Charyl and Kayla Copher are accused of having been involved in the incident that caused the child's distress. The relationship of the three defendants is unclear.

The lawsuit claims that on Sept. 25, Charyl Copher called Adrienne Weston to tell her of a "bad fit" the child had just before taking a nap, which Copher allegedly told Weston resulted in him hitting his face and head on a sleeping cot. The suit says Weston arrived to pick up her son and discovered that his injuries were more severe than Copher had described, and took him to get medical attention.

Weston alleges that Charyl and Kayla Copher and teachers at Exploration Station provided differing accounts of the incident. The family stopped sending the child to Exploration Station and less than two weeks after the incident, the suit says, teachers who were at the school the day of the incident privately contacted the Westons to tell them their account of the day.

The lawsuit says teachers told the family that after the child began crying, Kayla and Charyl Copher took him from his classroom and locked him alone in a dark room with no food or water. The teachers allegedly told the Westons that they noticed their son's injuries after he was returned to the classroom but before he lay down for his nap.

The suit also claims that the center was forced to close because of a mass resignation of Exploration Station teachers who were present at the time of the incident. The teachers decided to resign after objecting to Charyl Copher asking them to sign a statement about the incident and how the boy's injuries occurred, the suit says.

No lawyer is listed in court documents for the defendants, and a phone number listed online for Exploration Station appears disconnected. The center's Facebook page and website also do not appear active. Tracey Martin, a Joplin attorney listed as representing the Weston family, did not respond to a request for comment.

The suit says the child "is in need of psychological care and therapy" for severe emotional distress that did not exist before the incident. The Westons are seeking punitive damages of at least $25,000.

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