How Could You? Hall of Shame-Kathleen Lyman UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Racine, Wisconsin, foster mother Kathleen Lyman, 45 ” was charged with three felony counts of physical abuse to a child. If convicted on all three charges, Lyman faces up to 33 years in prison and/or fined up to $30,000.”

“A Racine County foster parent, who allegedly pinched, bit and pulled the ears of a two-year-old girl left her in care, was charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday,July 22.”

“According to the criminal complaint, Racine Police investigated allegations of child abuse against Lyman for causing bruises on a two year-old girl. Investigators with the Kenosha County Human Services Department learned that the girl had bruises on her ears, face and torso. Kenosha County investigated the case because Lyman is a Racine County foster care parent and Racine County cannot conduct the investigation.

The bruises were determined by police and medical personnel to be bite marks caused by an adult, according to the complaint.

Initially Lyman told the case manager that the girl’s two older brothers bit her, but then she later told police she was frustrated with the girl’s behavior.

Lyman told police that she possibly grabbed the girl’s ears and pinched her face too hard while she was brushing her hair. Later Lyman was going to take the girl to the park. She tried to get her to go the bathroom, but she wouldn’t and later did after Lyman put a diaper on her. Lyman told police she then held up the girl and bit her.

Held at the Racine County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond, Lyman is expected to have a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 5.”

Foster Mom Charged With Child Abuse Of Two-Year-old Girl [Racine County Eye 7/22/15 by Denise Lockwood]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

 

Update:” A foster parent accused last month of biting a toddler in her care because she was frustrated over potty training now faces additional felony child abuse charges.

Kathleen K. Lyman, 45, …, was scheduled to have her preliminary hearing in Racine County Circuit Court on Wednesday on three counts of physical abuse of a child by a child care provider. She was charged in late July.

However, on Wednesday morning the Racine County District Attorney’s Office filed an amended criminal complaint adding three charges against Lyman of physical abuse of a child — intentionally causing bodily harm. Her preliminary hearing date is now Sept. 23.

According to her criminal complaint, Lyman was the subject of a possible child-abuse investigation by social workers who enlisted the help of the Racine Police Department.

A doctor who examined the girl, who was younger than 2 years old, on July 16 reported finding, among other injuries, crescent-shape bruising on her arms and abdomen that looked like bite marks. Photos also showed multiple bruises on the toddler’s face and one of her ears, the complaint states.

Initially while being interviewed on July 21 about the girl’s injuries, Lyman reportedly blamed the girl’s two brothers who were previously also living with her until she asked they be removed because she could not handle them. But authorities said the bite marks appeared to be from an adult, not a child, and were too fresh to have been caused by the children previously removed from her home.

Lyman voiced great frustration in trying to deal with children’s behavior, “even though the specific behavior she was describing could be perceived as normal toddler behavior,” the police investigator wrote.

Eventually, Lyman admitted she may have grabbed the toddler’s ear too hard and pulled it, and that she was “holding (the girl’s) face too hard as she was trying to do her hair and that that may have caused the bruises,” the complaint states. She also eventually said she picked the girl up with both hands, holding her perpendicular to herself, and bit her on the abdomen.
“She said she doesn’t know why she did it, but that she was very frustrated,” the investigator wrote.

The examining doctor also found what appeared to be bite marks on the girl’s arms and “vertical pattern injuries to her buttocks that would have had to have been caused by a great deal of force,” the complaint states.

Lyman was arrested and jailed on a $10,000 cash bond but has posted out.

The six abuse charges are Class H felonies punishable each by up to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision and a fine of up to $10,000.”

Charges added against foster mom accused of biting toddler [Journal times 8/19/15 by Michael Burke]

Update 2:A search of the Wisconsin court case files shows that Kathleen will go to trial on 6/1/16.

Update 3: “A Racine woman pleaded no contest Friday to charges stemming from 2015 allegations that she bit and abused a toddler in her care.

Kathleen K. Lyman, 48, of the …, is charged with a felony count of child abuse, recklessly causing harm, and misdemeanor counts of neglecting a child and disorderly conduct. As part of a plea agreement Lyman accepted Friday, she pleaded no contest to the three counts and was found guilty by the court.

Three counts of felony child abuse, intentionally causing harm, were dismissed but will be considered for sentencing purposes.

If convicted, Lyman faces up to 18 months in jail and two years extended supervision for the child abuse, recklessly causing harm charge; nine months in jail for child neglect and/or $10,000 fine for neglecting a child; and 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine for the disorderly conduct charge.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 19 at the Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.

According to the criminal complaint, Lyman was the subject of a child-abuse investigation by social workers.

A doctor examined the-then 2-year-old girl on July 16, 2015, and reported finding, among other injuries, crescent-shape bruising on the child’s arms and abdomen that looked like bite marks. Photos also showed multiple bruises on the toddler’s face and one of her ears.

In an interview with police, Lyman, the child’s foster mother, tried to blame the bite marks on the child’s older brothers. Authorities, however, said the bite marks appeared to be from an adult, and were too fresh to have been caused by the children previously removed from her home.

Lyman later admitted to biting the child on July 11, 2015, and also reportedly said it was possible the multiple bruises on the child’s face were from her holding the child’s face too tight while trying to do her hair. She also admitted to possibly grabbing the girl’s ear too hard and pulling.

“She said she doesn’t know why she did it, but that she was very frustrated,” the investigator wrote.”

No-contest plea from ex-foster mom accused of biting toddler

[Journal times 8/17/18 by Alyssa Mauk]

Update 4:“Kathleen Lyman was sentenced Friday to one year of probation for felony child abuse, for abusing and biting her 2-year-old foster child.

Lyman, 49, on Aug. 17 entered a no-contest plea to charges of felony child abuse, misdemeanor neglecting a child and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Racine County Circuit Court Judge Mark Nielsen on Friday ordered a withheld sentence on all three counts and sentenced Lyman to one year of probation, with the stipulation that during that time she cannot care for minor children unless approved by the Department of Corrections.

A doctor examined Lyman’s foster child in July 2015 and reported finding, among other injuries, crescent-shape bruising on the child’s arms and abdomen that looked like bite marks. The toddler also had bruises on her face and one of her ears.

In an interview with police, Lyman initially tried to blame the bite marks on the child’s older brothers, but authorities said the marks appeared to be from an adult. Lyman eventually admitted to handling the child roughly and biting her.

Lyman addressed the court on Friday, saying that although it was no excuse, that at the time of the abuse she was grieving the loss of her other foster children who had recently been removed from her home at her request. She said she also was dealing with a verbally abusive and unsupportive husband, who was having an affair. In addition, Lyman said, she was suffering from anxiety, anger and loneliness.

“I’m not a monster,” Lyman said. “I realize now that I lost control and I flipped out.”

She said she’s made several changes since then, including getting a divorce and seeking help for her anger and anxiety issues.

The prosecution and defense both agreed that Lyman will face a significant consequence outside the criminal justice system: She will be denied the option of becoming a mother, something that she’s always wanted; she will now not be permitted to foster or adopt children and she is likely too old to have children of her own.

The probation sentence was in line with recommendations from both the prosecution and defense.

Prosecutor Carolyn Delery said the defendant’s actions in 2015 were unreasonable and at the very least inexcusable, but that Lyman had been out on bail for three years with no violations.

The victim is now in a safe home, Delery said, and doesn’t seem to have any lasting mental or emotional issues stemming from the abuse.

Delery recommended that in addition to probation, Lyman get counseling, as she obviously was not able to handle stress.

Defense attorney John Ward admitted that his client was overwhelmed at the time of the incident, but has since sought treatment.

At the time, Lyman was caring for more children than she was licensed to have and some of them exhibited challenging behaviors.

“She’s embarrassed to be here,” Ward said.

Nielsen said it seemed to him that Lyman was someone trying to do good who took on more than she could handle.

He said that some people might believe that probation was letting Lyman off easy, but those people would be wrong.

“Those people don’t know what they’re talking about,” he said.

Lyman has been stripped of her reputation, as well as her First and 14th amendment rights, allowing her to vote, until her probation is served and will lose her second amendment rights, to possess firearms, permanently. During probation she will lose much of her autonomy and privacy, he said.

“You tried at something, you made a noble effort and you failed,” Nielsen said of Lyman’s work as a foster parent.”

Woman who bit foster child sentenced to probation

[The Journal Times 10/19/18 by Caitlin Sievers]