A Georgia father says his 3-year-old daughter was bitten and injured at a day care center in Stockbridge — and he believes it happened because adults in the room weren’t paying close attention.
Ralph Culpepper told ABC affiliate WSB that the incident took place at Sunshine House Early Learning Center on Nov. 18. He claims staff did not step in to stop what was happening.
WSB reported that, according to the child’s doctor, the girl had a human bite mark on her face, scratches, and blunt-force trauma to her head.
A spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning said the department was notified about a complaint on Nov. 19. The spokesperson said an investigation followed and that the complaint was substantiated.
A department report described the alleged incident and stated that the day care’s supervision requirements were “not met.”
“It was determined based on investigative findings,” the report said, “that a 3-year-old sustained bite marks to the shoulder and face, bruising under the right eye, a scratch on their on their nose, left eye and the corner of their lip, where the skin was observed to be broken and bled and staff were unaware of how the injuries occurred.”
The report also noted a separate concern on Nov. 19.
“It was further determined that on November 19, 2025, at 12:05 p.m., staff failed to provide watchful oversight when a 4-year-old child had been left alone and unsupervised in the classroom for approximately five minutes,” officials added.
Responding to Culpepper’s claims, a Sunshine House spokesperson said the facility takes “all matters involving child safety seriously.”
“We are aware of an interaction between two three-year-old children involving a dispute over a toy. It occurred during supervised free playtime in a preschool classroom,” the company added. “We are unable to provide further details at this time.”
Separately, an official with the Stockbridge Police Department said the department could not find any record of a complaint filed related to the alleged incident.
On its website, Sunshine House says it has been operating for 50 years.
“At The Sunshine House of Stockbridge, we believe every child deserves a strong start,” the company said. “Whether you’re looking for school readiness, early education, socialization, or simply a safe and loving environment while you’re at work, our childcare programs provide the foundation your child needs to thrive — in school and in life.”
The Stockbridge location also lists “classroom cameras” and “photo & video app updates” among its features.
Culpepper told WSB he and his wife were frustrated that they were not allowed to view surveillance footage right away. He said that pushed him to contact the company’s corporate staff and the state in an effort to see it.
“They made it seem like she was bumped into, or like they were just pulling over a toy,” Culpepper alleged, “but when we got to the school and we saw her face — we saw scratches, there were bruises, she had bleeding. It was multiple scratches.”
