Oklahoma daycare closes after employee arrested for sexual & physical assault of several children

The Department of Human Services (DHS) asked a daycare in Woodward to close after a DHS inspection and criminal investigation conducted by the Woodward Police Department found an employee was allegedly sexually and physically abusing children. 

WOODWARD, Okla. (KFOR) - The Department of Human Services (DHS) asked a daycare in Woodward to close after a DHS inspection and criminal investigation conducted by the Woodward Police Department found an employee was allegedly sexually and physically abusing children. 

“Some of them were repeated on the same children. So, I'm not certain how many children were victimized, but we did come up with a total of including the original eight instances of child sexual abuse and then about 16 instances of physical abuse of him being rough with the children, said Capt. Darren Navratil with the Woodward Police Department. 

On Friday, March 15^th the owner of Boomer Kids Club Daycare in Woodward officially agreed to close their doors after investigators found an employee was allegedly harming children over a month period. The DHS reports says he was "hitting, kicking, thumping, popping, shoving, yanking and slamming children." 

The now former daycare teacher, 19-year-old Tyler Kniest was arrested in December for the crimes. He's facing 25 criminal counts of abuse, including sexual abuse of a 4-year-old girl that was captured on surveillance video. 

The DHS complaint also found children as young as two were put in time-out sessions for as long as 35 minutes for no apparent reason and then, physically abused.  

The report also notes that children’s faces were covered and wrapped tightly restricting movement during nap time. 

All of those incidents were captured on camera over the course of a month. 

“We executed a search warrant for the daycare surveillance system. It only went back a month, so we had a month's worth of video from inside of his classroom that we reviewed,” said Navratil.  

Woodward Police say no other employees were involved and no one knew of the incidents prior to the victim’s parent coming forward to the daycare.  

“As far as we know, there was no knowledge previously that this was going on,” said Navratil. 

Investigative journalist for the Woodward News Rachael Van Horn says she was at the preliminary hearing last week. She says many concerned parents showed up. 

“I didn't really speak to too many, but there is a huge groundswell of support for the parents of the children,” said Rachael Van Horn, investigative journalist and assistant editor with the Woodward News.  

With the daycare now closed, Van Horn tells KFOR Woodward is now facing a daycare crisis.  

“We absolutely have a huge need. There were about 60 children, as far as I could tell, that were displaced by the closure of this and this... It left a lot of people with no place to take their children. Some people are actually staying home, some people are considering opening a daycare themselves, some people quit their jobs,” said Van Horn.  

Kniest was fired from the daycare back in December. If convicted, he would face three to 20 years for each felony. He is currently still behind bars with his bond set at a quarter of a million dollars.  

The Department of Human Services sent KFOR the following statement: 

“Oklahoma Human Services Child Care Services’ licensing efforts are dedicated to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of Oklahoma’s children while they are away from their homes and being served in child care programs. Due to the substantiated findings determined through this child care investigation, the agency asked Boomer Kids to voluntarily close their child care program, which they agreed to do effective March 15, 2024.” 

-Casey L. White | External Communications and Media Relations Administrator