Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

Have you heard about this story? I could swear it happened in CA but the news article says it happened in Ohio.

A woman, Brenda Nesselroad-Slaby, left her sleeping two year old daughter strapped in a child seat of a sport utility vehicle at Glen Este Middle School, for eight hours, where she is the assistant principal. The August 23 heat was searing and eventually reached over 110 degrees in the closed car. The baby died. When the mother got back to the car and found the dead baby, the police arrived and the baby's body temp was 110 degrees. The mother says she forgot about the baby.

This case has been in the news for several weeks. My screaming question has always been "Why did she put the baby in the car and strap her in." She must have had a reason. One doesn't pack up a baby only to take her to work and leave her in the car all day. 

If I put my child in a car seat before going to work, my intention would be to drop the baby off at a child care center before driving to work. But this woman forgot about the baby.

The Clermont County prosecutor said Tuesday the mother won't be charged in the death of her 2-year-old daughter. The only charge that might have been appropriate was child endangering, White said. But Ohio law doesn't allow for the prosecution of someone on that charge if a death results from an accident. Because he thinks that no crime was committed, White said, it would have been improper to present such a case to the grand jury for consideration of a felony charge against Nesselroad-Slaby.

I'm outraged. Leaving a child in a car for eight hours in the scorching heat is NOT an accident. Even if the mom is ditzy, I'm sure she was able to leave the baby at a child care center as a routine matter everyday of her working life.

Why is she not being prosecuted? "I forgot" is not a valid excuse.

I agree with you... no one forgets they have a baby in the car... she should be prosecuted. I sure as shooting wouldn't want this woman to be the principal of any school my kids attended... (or in my case, neices or nephews).

I think it is outrageous that this woman has not been charged with a crime.

This happened in the Cincinnati area, and I have listened to much discussion on a local talk radio station about this case.  This woman was known to leave this child in the car when she ran errands, including when she dropped another older child off at daycare.  She was asked by the daycare personnel not to leave the baby in the car.  She had also been reprimanded by others, including police, for doing this, including the same week the child died.

Others have been charged with animal cruelty for leaving animals in a car, even if no harm resulted.  And this woman is not even charged with manslaughter?  She is on paid administrative leave from school. Absolutely ridiculous.

I believe a first time offense in the State of Texas is a $200.00 fine.  This lady needs to have all children removed from her care immediately.  And if what I'm reading here is true, that she has done this repeatedly, then yes charges should be filed, imo.