On October 1, 2024, my 3-year-old daughter, Xylah Turrell, who is autistic and at the time nonverbal she has a speech delay, was severely injured while under the care of Dothan Christian Daycare. She required 2 emergency surgeries due to a broken arm. The daycare failed to notify me of the incident, gave inconsistent and false reports to authorities, and did not follow any incident protocol.

A specialist from UAB Hospital confirmed that her injuries were not consistent with a playground accident — they were consistent with abuse.

Since coming forward with my daughter’s story, I’ve received messages from over a dozen parents and former staff members reporting similar incidents dating back over 20 years. These include:

Children coming home with unexplained injuries or bruises
Staff witnessing rough handling or neglect and reporting it to DHR and the police
A complete lack of accountability from daycare leadership
At least two known lawsuits filed against the center in the past

This is not an isolated incident. There is a clear pattern of harm, neglect, and cover-ups — and our children deserve better.

We are demanding:

A full investigation by Alabama Department of Human Resources whom found the daycare guilty of abuse in my daughters case and the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education
Immediate and permanent closure of Dothan Christian Daycare 
Public accountability for all previous reports and investigations that were ignored or dismissed

This facility has harmed too many children and failed too many families.

Please sign and share this petition to protect future children from suffering and help families like mine get the justice we’ve been denied.