A former employee of Sheryl Buffington’s Daycare and Preschool Palace in Center Township is facing aggravated assault charges after state police accused her of dropping infants and breaking a child’s arm.

Taylor E. Titley, 29, of Butler, was charged Thursday, Sept. 7, with five counts each of felonies aggravated assault and child endangerment, and misdemeanors simple assault and reckless endangerment.

Documents showed that former employees told police Titley would frequently act aggressively toward infants ranging from 6 months old to 2 years old, and drop them onto the ground from 3 to 4 feet in the air.

Sheryl Buffington, of the day care center, confirmed that Titley is no longer employed there.

“We are deeply troubled by this news and the allegations that were reported,” Buffington said. “We are fully cooperative in this investigation as it began and will continue to be. The children in our care remain our top priority.”

Police said they received a ChildLine report June 15 saying a 6-month-old boy had sustained a fracture to his right arm. Upon investigation, police said doctors estimated that the fracture occurred two days before, when the infant was in Titley’s care.

Five employees who worked with Titley in the infant care room were interviewed by police, and all five had similar testimonies to her conduct. Their examples of Titley’s behavior toward the infants spanned from June 2021 to June 2023.

Several employees told police they had witnessed the 6-month-old boy using his arms normally on the morning of June 13. Later, one employee reported that the boy was not using his arms and was crying, police said.

Throughout June 13, police said Titley made comments about being frustrated with the boy. One employee reported working with Titley in a shared room that day, and said the 6-month-old boy starting crying around 11:15 a.m.

Police said another employee reported Titley complaining about the boy, saying she “Just can’t take it” because he cries a lot and is “annoying.”

Police said Titley expressed frustration over the boy’s crying, and started yelling at the children, “It’s too early for this.”

The employee then told police that between 2 and 2:30 p.m., they were concerned when they heard loud crying from Titley’s room. Police said the employee went into the room to check on Titley.

Documents showed the employee found Titley frustrated and the 6-month-old on the ground, not moving his arms. The other infants in the room were also crying, police said.

Police said other employees reported Titley would aggressively “yank” infants by their arms and off the ground out of frustration.

Documents showed that the employees also witnessed Titley repeatedly throwing infants onto sleeping mats on the ground from 3 to 4 feet in the air.

Police said one employee witnessed Titley throwing infants on the ground a total of 20 times between August 2022 to June 2023.

Employees described Titley as “very strict” and becoming irritated when infants were fussy, not sleeping during nap time or not following the feeding schedule, police said.

Documents showed an employee reported seeing Titley use a flashlight to check the pupils of infants that she threw on the ground.

Police said one employee also reported Titley dragging infants on their sleeping mats away from other infants, because “she didn’t want the other infants to wake up.”

One employee said Titley was also verbally aggressive toward the infants, documents showed, and would yell at them to lie on their mats and be quiet.

Titley’s preliminary hearing is scheduled Oct. 24 before District Judge Lewis Stoughton.

Kara Kennedy, a parent of one of the children involved in the investigation, said she hopes there is justice for everyone involved.

“No matter what happens, she still ruined peoples lives, and I hope she pays with every ounce of pain she deserves,” she said.

Sherrie Paul, grandmother of one of the children involved in the case, said she is angry over the alleged incidents.

“I think this is a travesty in the community,” she said. “(They) allegedly knew about it and let it continue. To find out there were multiple charges for multiple children? When does it stop for the babies, and the children.”