Jazmin Green: A Preventable Tragedy
On June 20, 2011, two year old Jazmin Green died after being left strapped in her car seat inside a daycare van on a dangerously hot day in Jonesboro, Georgia. Jazmin had returned from a field trip to Chuck E. Cheese with seven other toddlers. When the children were brought back to Marlo’s Magnificent Early Learning Center, Jazmin was left behind in the van. A 16 year old volunteer had been assigned responsibility for children seated in the back row. Jazmin was overlooked.
What makes her death even more troubling is that the daycare already had transportation safety requirements in place. State records showed that the center had previously been cited for failing to properly document a field trip, and staff had received training on transportation and child supervision only months before Jazmin died. Investigators later reported that a required checklist meant to confirm that all children had been removed from the vehicle had been completed before the van even returned to the daycare. Jazmin’s death was not simply the result of one missed headcount. It exposed a breakdown in supervision, transportation procedures, accountability, and the basic responsibility to physically verify that every child was safely removed from the vehicle.
The Criminal Case
Daycare owner Marlo Fallings, her daughter Quantabia Hopkins, and the teenage volunteer were charged in connection with Jazmin’s death. In 2014, a Clayton County jury found Fallings and Hopkins not guilty of felony murder. Fallings was convicted of reckless conduct. Hopkins was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct, and contributing to the deprivation of a child. The teenage volunteer had previously pleaded guilty in juvenile court to involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct and received probation.
Fallings was sentenced to 90 days in jail followed by nine months of probation. Hopkins was sentenced to 30 days in jail and nearly 10 years of probation. Jazmin’s mother said the punishment was not enough for the loss of her child.
The Daycare Lost Its License
Following Jazmin’s death, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning permanently revoked the license of Marlo’s Magnificent Early Learning Center. The state investigation focused on failures involving transportation procedures, supervision, and required safety checks. The daycare owner did not appeal the license revocation. Jazmin’s mother also filed a civil lawsuit against the daycare seeking punitive damages and burial expense.
Why Jazmin’s Story Matters
Jazmin was two years old. She depended completely on the adults responsible for her care to know where she was, to follow safety procedures, and to make sure she came home. Her death shows why childcare safety cannot depend on assumptions. A checklist means nothing if it is not honestly completed. A policy means nothing if it is not followed. Training means nothing if adults fail to use it. And a child should never lose her life because someone assumed another person had checked. The Anthony DeJuan Boatwright Foundation shares Jazmin’s story because every child deserves more than written rules. They deserve adults who follow them.
Check the vehicle. Count every child. Verify every seat. Never assume.
Protect Childhood. Preserve Their Future.
