With a former Port Huron Head Start teacher receiving a six month jail sentence for three misdemeanors this morning, June 2, Blue Water Community Action (BWCA) has issued a statement in regards to the ongoing investigation related to the teacher.
Cody Williams of Port Huron was originally charged with four charges of assault and battery and two counts of fourth degree child abuse, but ultimately pleaded to two counts of assault and battery and one count of fourth degree child abuse on April 24.
Williams faced up to a year in prison for one count of fourth degree child abuse, but St. Clair County District Court Judge Mona Armstrong instead sentenced him to six months in jail plus 60 months of probation. He is also expected to pay $2,900 in restitution, with the amount not including court costs and fees. He will also be expected to complete several courses during his sentence, such as anger management.
While part of the Blue Water Community Action’s Head Start Program last year, Williams is alleged to have assaulted seven children in the program, which caters to children ages three to five. Williams is no longer employed at the head start program, having been fired along with another teaching aide on December 15, 2022, after a short investigation.
Meanwhile, the BWCA’s board of directors met May 24, releasing a “proposed media statement” some time prior to Thursday’s sentencing. The statement, issued by chairperson Linda Lilly, assures the community that the agency is cooperating with the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, St. Clair County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the State of Michigan Child Care Licensing Bureau, the state’s Children’s Protective Services program, and the federal Office of Head Start as they work to conclude their respective investigations.
Lilly also says that the board will be utilizing “their information when available in the coming days, in concert with… internal reviews, to inform and guide … decisions regarding BWCA leadership and related matters.”
In addition, Lilly claims that the agency is “working to provide additional training for all staff regarding their roles and obligations including looking for signs of neglect and abuse of children… and the duty of all staff members to immediately report any suspected abuse.” They are also hoping to update their video monitoring technology and protocols, provide additional training for front-line classroom staff in terms of dealing with stressful classroom challenges; and provide greater support to improve the well-being and morale for all staff and students.
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Child Protective Services and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office began individual investigations in late January, with all three agencies teaming up in early March for another investigation, Blue Water Community Action’s Executive Director Melinda Johnson officially informed all families of the matter on March 31, 2023, two days after learning that the St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office would be pursuing the six misdemeanor charges against Williams.
At an earlier May meeting, Johnson was placed on leave after a split board vote on her firing. Five board members voted against the director’s firing, and four members voted in favor of firing Johnson.The St. Clair County prosecutor’s office is still debating whether to charge seven people, including Johnson, for failing to report the abuse as mandated reporters.
Read the full statement below:
