A Linn woman was placed on two years unsupervised probation for pleading guilty to amended charges in connection with a child abuse case from March.
Taylor Strope, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. She had been charged with two counts of felony abuse or neglect of a child in Osage County Court.
As part of her probation, Strope must attend and successfully complete an anger management class and serve 15 days in the Osage County Jail with credit for any time served. She will not be able to work in a daycare or nursing facility and cannot have contact with the victim or their families involved in this case. Strope also cannot have contact with employees or the owner of the daycare where she was working at the time of this incident.
Court records show the case began after the parents of a 4-year-old boy contacted the Department of Social Services about an assault at a child care center in the 300 block of County Road 501. The center’s address is listed as Jefferson City, although it is physically in Osage County.
The center director called the mother of the boy, advising Strope had hit him and a mark had been left on the child’s chest. Another teacher told authorities she saw Strope strike the child, knocking the boy back approximately 3 feet toward an open closet door. After the incident, Strope was terminated from her job.
She told authorities she was sorry for what happened and said it was the result of her having a bad day. She said as she was cleaning up a classroom she felt someone punch the back of her leg, scaring her, and as a reaction she swung her arm with an open hand back and struck the boy in the chest.
Authorities also reported workers at the center said they saw Strope pick up a 2-year-old boy by his head after she became angry with him because he was following her around and crying.
Strope said she did not apply hard pressure to the child and picked him up that way on numerous occasions. She added she was a domestic violence victim and suffers from anxiety, for which she was supposed to be on medication.