Judge grants work release for former Louisville daycare worker accused of abuse to look for new job

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A former east Louisville daycare worker accused of abusing infants was granted a release from house arrest to look for a job.

A judge issued the ruling during a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday, giving Racheal Flannery 30 days to look for a job that doesn't involve working with minors.

Flannery is accused of abusing babies in her care while she worked at Vanguard Academy in Norton Commons. She was arrested Sept. 30 and charged with three counts of first-degree criminal abuse, to which she pleaded not guilty in October.

A Jefferson County Grand Jury indicted Flannery in November, charging her with 10 counts of criminal abuse. The jury said she allegedly criminally abused 10 children while working at Vanguard Academy between Sept. 21-28 of 2022.

Louisville Metro Police, which began looking into abuse allegations at the daycare in September, said surveillance video captured the incidents.

An attorney for one of the victims described the surveillance video used in the investigation, saying it looks like Flannery was squeezing and hitting one alleged victim. The attorney said another clip showed Flannery delivering "multiple blows to the face with a bottle," while she's having a text conversation on her phone.

Flannery pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges of abuse on Dec. 5. Circuit Court Judge Eric Haner kept her previous bond conditions in place, requiring her to remain under house arrest with no contact with the Academy or any of the victims.

During the same court appearance, Flannery's attorney asked Haner to grant a work release so she could secure a job, saying that she had fallen behind on rent. But Haner deferred the request for a discussion at a pre-trial hearing held Wednesday where the judge kept her bail at $25,000 cash, which had been posted, with HIP conditions.

Flannery's next pre-trial hearing is set for 10:30 a.m. on April 10.

Several families have filed a lawsuit against Vanguard, which was closed by state regulators in November