An employee of a Manheim day-care center "slammed" a 3-year-old's head against a wall last month, police say they were told, and an officer filed charges against the woman Monday.
Julie E. Iddings, 26, of Mount Joy, was charged with simple assault and endangering the welfare of children for the incident at Small Freys Children Center, 45 Market Square, Manheim police Officer Joseph Stauffer said.
Stauffer said the child was treated at an area hospital for a contusion to the front of her head. He said the injury was categorized by doctors as a "closed head wound" and did not require stitches. The child was treated and released.
A co-worker who witnessed the March 24 incident told police that the child was in a "time out" and kept turning her head to look at other children in the class, Stauffer said.
At one point, the witness said, Iddings went up behind the child and slammed the front of her head into the wall, he said.
A "goose egg" immediately appeared on the girl's head, the witness told police.
The child's mother, who works at the center but was teaching in another classroom, was informed of the incident and took her daughter to the hospital, Stauffer said.
Police did not identify the child or her mother Wednesday.
Stauffer said the witness told police that she did not have the opportunity to confront Iddings about the incident because Iddings immediately went to the restroom and then left the building to go to the center's other facility.
The witness reported the incident to an administrator at the day care.
Stauffer said hospital officials notified police of the child's injury, which was investigated by Manheim police and Lancaster County Children and Youth Agency.
Stauffer said that Iddings was given a one-day suspension from the day care. He said he didn't know if any further action was taken.
Officials at the day-care center did not return a phone call Wednesday. Attempts to find a telephone listing for Iddings were unsuccessful.
Stauffer said Iddings was arraigned and was free on bail.