NEWPORT — A former New London childcare teacher pleaded not guilty last week in Newport Circuit Court to a charge of second-degree assault on a child in his care.
On May 20, New London police arrested Robert Snider, a former preschool teacher at ABC’s Child Care Center on County Road, on the assault charge, according to court documents.
Snider, a 49-year-old Sutton, N.H., resident, is alleged to have caused bodily injury to a 2-year-old child at the childcare center — which is operated by New London Hospital — in April, court documents show.
The charge, designated as a Class B felony, generally carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison, with the possibility of a maximum $4,000 fine, according to RSA 651:2. The complaint noted that the victim being under 13 years of age could enhance a sentence.
Snider filed a written not guilty plea and waived his arraignment on May 21.
Judge Daniel Swegart signed off on Snider’s release from Merrimack County House of Corrections on May 21 on personal recognizance, with the stipulation that Snider may not contact or be within 300 feet of the victim, the victim’s family or any center staff, aside from his wife. Snider is also prohibited from contacting any person under the age of 16 unless they are related to him.
Efforts to reach Snider and his Concord-based attorney Mark Walder Jr. were unsuccessful by deadline.
The mother of a toddler at the childcare center contacted police on April 25 to report a bruise on her son’s arm as a result of being grabbed by a teacher at daycare, according to court documents.
New London police officer Joseph Walz visited the child’s home and observed a bruise on his left arm consistent with the report, the affidavit he filed states.
Other employees at the childcare center told police the child was playing with a door in between two classrooms on April 23 when Snider grabbed his arm and yelled at him.
One employee reported being close enough to see Snider’s knuckles turn white as he grabbed the child, the affidavit states.
As a result of this incident, the hospital’s human resources department terminated Snider the following day, April 24, the affidavit said.
ABC’s Child Care Center enrolls an average of 36 children with ages ranging from 6 weeks to 6 years across three classrooms, according to the center’s website.
There are eight staff members and one director, Tina Walker, who could not be reached for comment by deadline on Wednesday.
The most recent unannounced inspection by the Department of Health and Human Services was about one year ago. In the care of children section, the facility had perfect compliance, including a discipline provision stating that staff “shall not use rough handling on children,” and another that prohibits yelling at them.
The center’s leadership team reported the incident to the Child Licensing Unit of the state Department of Health and Human Services and otherwise followed appropriate protocols for the situation, Audra Burns, a spokeswoman for Dartmouth Health, said in a Wednesday email. New London Hospital is a member of the Dartmouth Health system.
“New London Hospital takes seriously the trust our families place in us to deliver safe, quality childcare,” Burns wrote.
A probable cause hearing in Snider’s case is set for June 2 in Newport Circuit Court.
