Contact: Beth Stone 508-584-8120
BROCKTON – A Hull woman was arraigned today on charges that she allegedly assaulted several children at the preschool where she worked as a teacher, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz and Scituate Police Chief Mark Thompson have announced.
Lilly J. Garofola, 29, of Hull, pleaded not guilty in Hingham District Court today to four counts of Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, and 12 counts of Assault and Battery. The Commonwealth requested that Garofola be held without bail pending the outcome of a dangerousness hearing. Judge Brian Palmucci denied the request. The Commonwealth then requested Garofola be held on $50,000 cash bail with conditions that she wear a GPS monitoring bracelet, stay away and have no contact with the children in this case, and that she stay away from all children under the age of 16. Judge Palmucci set bail at $1,000 with the condition that she have no contact with children under the age of 16, and have no contact with witnesses in this case.
Within the past several weeks, concerned parents and staff members at the Little Steps Learning Center approached Scituate Police regarding potential inappropriate physical conduct involving Garofola, a teacher at the center. A joint investigation commenced between Scituate Police, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and the state Department of Children and Families.
The investigation found that between April and May, in total, Garofola is alleged to have physically assaulted three different children during school hours. The alleged abuse included pushing children to the ground, slamming children into tables and chairs and walls. There were also reports of multiple incidents of verbal abuse by Garofola. Most of the incidents were captured on surveillance video.
Garofola was taken into custody by Scituate Police this morning without incident.
Garofola was suspended from work at the learning center before she resigned.
The Scituate Police Department is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. At this time, there is no indication of further immediate risk to students or the community. The preschool is cooperating fully with investigators and has taken internal measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its students. Families with children currently enrolled have been notified and are encouraged to speak with their children and report any concerns.
If you believe that your child may have had inappropriate contact with Garofola, or if you have additional information relevant to this case, please contact the Scituate Police Department at 781-545-1212.