The Augusta District Attorney has been given the case of the mother accused of attacking her child’s day care teacher last year in Columbia County. The story of Kasey Brooks went national with video showing the violent attack at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church where Brooks’ son was enrolled in the Mother’s Day Out program.
Columbia County District Attorney Bobby Christine confirmed the transfer of the misdemeanor battery case to Jared Williams in a phone call with “The Augusta Press” on Monday night.
“This case, which could reasonably be indicted for a felony, I have declared a conflict on,” Christine said. “It’s being assigned to another office.”
Christine said he has a conflict as a longtime member of St. Teresa, where he once served on the church council.
With the case in Williams’ hands, the Augusta prosecutor will have to decide whether to let a grand jury debate whether the mother’s attack was on a “teacher,” which could make it rise to the level of a felony under Georgia law. Or he could leave it at a misdemeanor.
Williams will most certainly have access to the video that captured the attack as well as other video that shows the teacher’s earlier interactions with the child.
As The Augusta Press has previously reported, it’s been more than a year since the mother of a 2-year-old attacked a day care teacher with little movement in the case.
Brooks is charged with misdemeanor battery for the Aug. 31, 2021 attack on June Barrow at St. Teresa.
Brooks has been free on bond on the condition neither she or anyone acting on her behalf contact Barrow or any member of her family.
Not long after the incident, Barrow filed a civil lawsuit against Brooks in Columbia County Superior Court seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Brooks enrolled her son in the church program in fall 2021. According to the civil lawsuit, from the beginning the child displayed violent behavior, kicking and otherwise physically hurting other children and Barrow. Brooks was told of the child’s behavior and warned if it continued, he would be expelled. Barrow and Brooks met at the church on Aug. 31 and Brooks demanded to meet with other program staff and to see video from her son’s classroom, the lawsuit continues.
After meeting with other program staff and seeing a video, Brooks asked to meet again with Barrow and they went into an empty classroom. According to the lawsuit, Brooks attacked Barrow from behind, hitting her, even biting her, screaming and cursing. Another adult pulled Brooks off the older woman who had to be taken by ambulance for medical treatment, according to the lawsuit.
In answer to the lawsuit, Brooks’ attorney contends there was no act by Brooks that she could be held liable for. Barrow also held contributory negligence, according to the answer.
In her Go Fund Me page, in which people had donated $44,000 to her, she alleges the video she saw showed Barrow repeatedly abusing her son.
But two different judges who viewed video of Barrow’s interaction with Brooks’ son didn’t believe it raise probable cause to issue any criminal warrant against Barrow, according to earlier reports in The Augusta Press.
Greg Rickabaugh is the Jail Report contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at greg.rickabaugh@theaugustapress.com
