Parents: Fort Myers daycare teacher bit multiple children

Reporter: Morgan Rynor
Published: Updated:
Syerra Nahleah Ward, 18. (Credit: Lee County Sheriff's Office.)
Syerra Nahleah Ward, 18. (Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office.)

Multiple disturbing allegations by parents, including bite marks and scratches on their children, are coming out against a Lee County daycare employee since the arrest of that suspect on Tuesday.

One of the two mothers, Carmen Rodriguez, claims her children Josiah, 2 years old, and Elianna, 3 years old, fell victim to abuse.

“A big bruise on his face,” Carmen said. “It looked like somebody punched him.”

But, it was a large bite mark.

The suspect, Syerra Ward, 18, faces charges of Aggravated Child Abuse. Ward was booked into Lee County Jail after her arrest and posted a $150,000 bond the next day.

“They didn’t call me. They didn’t file an incident report,” Carmen said. “And she said, ‘well, he took it like a champ. He didn’t cry.'”

Then, weeks later, Carmen said he came home with a deep scratch under his eye. She told WINK News her daughter was “fully neglected.”

“Her pants from waist down were soiled,” Carmen said.

Carmen said she pulled her kids out of Odyssey Preschool Academy and called the Dept. of Children and Families. When she saw deputies arrest Syerra Ward for biting a child, Carmen said she was furious.

Carmen posted on a Facebook group for mothers. That is when Faith Boyki said the following in a comment: “He would come home with multiple bite marks like every other day, and they wouldn’t give me incident reports. He can’t talk obviously to tell me what’s going on.”

But her 4-year-old daughter, Briella, who also attends the pre-school, can talk. She said a woman, “Mrs. Syerra,” began choking her. Faith told WINK that she is pulling her kids out of the pre-school.

“I feel like I failed them,” Faith said. “Like how long was this going on?”

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