Father Defends Day Care After Shut Down

LAFAYETTE, Tenn. -- A father is questioning the state for shutting down a day care where toddlers were found hidden in a utility closet.

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Joel Coe said he has been taking his 3-year-old son, Brodie, to Paulette's Group Day Care home since he was a baby.

He said the owner, Paulette Colter, was always good to his son and that she was devastated and misses the children.

"Brodie is just crazy over her. If she was abusing a child, why would my son be crazy over her? He wouldn't want to come here,” he said.

Coe said Colter was good to all the kids and that she even built an elaborate playground in her back yard for them.

"It was so clean when I went in there that I would eat off the floor,” he said.

But the pictures told a different story.

State inspectors took the images Friday during a surprise check of Colter's home.

Three crying infants were found in a utility closet next to a water heater and electrical box.

Investigators said blankets had been pinned to the tops of the play pens.

In a detailed report, the Department of Human Services states that there was "an immediate threat to the health, safety and welfare of the children.”

Coe said Colter called and told him that the state was shutting her down.

“She told me she was quitting the business. She couldn't handle the pressure the state was putting on her. She in no way put a child in harm's way,” he said.

Investigators said Colter has gotten in trouble three times over the last year for not having enough caregivers for the number of children.

Two parents have even complained about the shortage.

State inspectors are talking with all the parents as part of their investigation.

Colter will eventually have to meet with representatives from the DHS as part of their investigation. They will decide if she will be able to re-open her business.

Investigators said Colter could also face criminal charges if they find that a child was hurt or suffered neglect during her care.