CINCINNATI - A day care worker once accused of throwing a 2-year-old against the wall is off the hook. But neither she nor the child's family will get over the ordeal soon.
Heather Ballard has her freedom – a judge found her not guilty - but that's about it.
"Lost my job, lost my home, lost everything," Ballard told WCPO.
She was charged with assault in June at the Under the Sea Child Care at the Villages at Roll Hill, where she worked. Despite the judge's ruling, she says she's not allowed to work in child care anymore.
What happened that day, we asked Ballard.
"I had [taken] the children back to my room and one of the little boys had thrown his food on the floor. So I picked him up under his arms and placed him against the wall in timeout," she said.
But family members of the 2-year-old say they saw video of Ballard throwing him. So we went to the daycare to find out what happened to that video.
The director wasn't there. We called the owner, but no one called back.
According to court documents, the video was taped over six days after the incident – and before police could save it.
Ballard insists she didn't do anything wrong. She says the case has cost her the chance to teach children again.
"I understand a parent is concerned if you hear something, but it went way too far. It just went way too far," she said.
Ballard said she hasn't heard anything from the daycare since her acquittal, but she is moving on.
