Two directors at the Lawrence School Daycare in Waukesha were sentenced, with one jailed, for allegedly failing to prevent child abuse.
The suspects were supervisors who worked at the now-closed Lawrence School in Waukesha. They recently said that they could have done something to help the children who were being abused while under their care.
Failure To Prevent Child Abuse
One of the defendants, Annmarie Fraker, said that she never wanted something like this to happen, adding that she wishes she could take it all back. She reportedly lied to law enforcement authorities when she was asked if employee Heather Miller was abusing children.
Fraker later testified for the state in Miller's trial, which was held last week, assisting prosecutors in securing a conviction of the abuser. The latter wanted the court to take into account the role that the former director played in helping bring the truth to light, according to Fox6Now.
Parents expressed their gratitude to Fraker for finally telling the truth about the entire incident, in which Miller was accused of abusing three one-year-old children. Prosecutors noted that Miller threw one of the children across her classroom while another struggled to breathe while being held down by the abuser.
Kathryn Ascher, the other former director, said that not a day went by that she did not think about the children who were involved in the horrific case. Prosecutors said she could have stopped the incidents, which spanned months, from even happening in the first place.
Being Sentenced to Jail
The latest developments revealed that Ascher was convicted on three amended misdemeanor counts while Fraker was only convicted on one count. While both of the former directors were sentenced to jail, their circumstances resulted in different outcomes, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The court fully stayed Fraker's sentence in favor of two years of probation, which allows her to avoid being sent to jail after her guilty plea. On the other hand, Ascher will be jailed for six months in the Waukesha County Jail on two counts. She was also placed on two years' probation on a stayed six-month sentence for the third count.
The suspect in the case, Miller, was initially charged with child abuse and second-degree recklessly endangering safety. When the verdicts against her were being read, she showed no reaction.
At the time, Judge David Maas ordered the defendant to be held until her sentencing hearing scheduled on Nov. 7, 2025, as per GMToday.
