Father Alleges 3-Year-Old Was Bitten and Injured at Stockbridge Day Care; State Substantiates Supervision Lapses

Ralph Culpepper says his 3-year-old daughter was bitten and suffered multiple facial injuries at Sunshine House Early Learning Center in Stockbridge, Georgia, on Nov. 18. Culpepper told ABC affiliate WSB that staff in the classroom did not intervene while his daughter was harmed and that the child’s injuries required medical attention.

Medical and state findings: According to the child’s physician, the girl sustained a human bite to the face, several scratches and blunt-force trauma to the head. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning confirmed it received a complaint on Nov. 19 and conducted an investigation that was later substantiated.

“It was determined based on investigative findings that a 3-year-old sustained bite marks to the shoulder and face, bruising under the right eye, a scratch on their nose, left eye and the corner of their lip, where the skin was observed to be broken and bled and staff were unaware of how the injuries occurred,” the department wrote in its report.

The department’s report also noted a separate supervision lapse: on Nov. 19 at 12:05 p.m., staff reportedly left a 4-year-old alone and unsupervised in the classroom for approximately five minutes.

Sunshine House response: A spokesperson for Sunshine House told media the facility “takes all matters involving child safety seriously” and acknowledged an interaction between two 3-year-old children that involved a dispute over a toy during supervised free play. The company said it could not provide additional details at this time.

Police and parent concerns: Stockbridge Police Department officials told reporters they found no record of a formal complaint filed with the department in connection with the incident. Culpepper says he was initially prevented from viewing surveillance footage and that he had to contact Sunshine House corporate staff and state officials to see the video. He and his wife say they found visible scratches, bruising and bleeding on their daughter’s face.

About the center: The Sunshine House of Stockbridge, according to its website, has operated for 50 years and advertises classroom cameras and a photo-and-video app to update families. The facility declined to provide further comment beyond its brief statement on safety and the interaction between children.

The state’s substantiated finding and the parental allegations have prompted scrutiny of the center’s supervision practices as families and local officials weigh next steps. PEOPLE contacted Culpepper for further comment but did not receive a response at the time of reporting.