As Avon Daycare Closes, Attorneys For Alleged Sex Abuse Victims Say Questions Remain

AVON, CT — BrightPath was slated to permanently close its Avon child care facility on Simsbury Road Friday as legal action continues over allegations that a former employee sexually abused children at the center.

The daycare operator said the closure followed recent “disruptions” and was made “with families in mind,” according to past statements from BrightPath.

On Friday, attorneys representing families connected to the case said the closure does not resolve all questions about what occurred at the facility or what company officials may have known.

“Closing the doors does not erase what happened inside the building,” attorney Sarah Klein of the Hartford-based Freeman Law Firm said in a statement. “If anything, it underscores the seriousness of the allegations and the devastating impact this has had on families.”

Klein and Hartford attorney Eric Schoenberg, also of Freeman, said Friday they believe additional information could emerge through litigation and discovery proceedings.

Klein said investigators have developed information suggesting alleged victims “may not have been limited to males.”

“The public is only beginning to understand the scope of this situation,” Schoenberg said. “Our intention is to uncover every possible fact, every failure, and every piece of information necessary to understand how this happened and, more importantly, how it can be prevented in the future.”

Multiple lawsuits filed in Hartford Superior Court accuse BrightPath operators Educational Play Care Ltd. and Busy Bees US Holdings Limited of negligence related to former employee Jan Carlos Berrios-Otero, 29, of Avon.

The lawsuits, filed on behalf of several children, allege the operators failed to properly supervise children and employees and failed to respond to warning signs and complaints involving Berrios-Otero.

The complaints allege Berrios-Otero engaged in “sexually assaultive, abusive, harmful, assaultive, and/or sexually inappropriate conduct involving multiple minors attending BrightPath Avon.”

The lawsuits also allege that staff members who reported inappropriate conduct faced retaliation.

According to Avon police, officers responded on March 31 to the BrightPath Avon Early Learning and Child Care Center at 144 Simsbury Road after administrators reported suspected inappropriate contact involving a child and an employee.

Police arrested Berrios-Otero on April 1. Authorities later expanded the investigation and filed additional charges connected to six alleged incidents involving five children.

Court records show Berrios-Otero faces multiple counts, including fourth-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor, and aggravated sexual assault of a minor. Officials said several alleged victims were younger than 13 years old.

He remains held on a combined $4 million bond and is scheduled to appear June 23 in Litchfield Superior Court.

Patch has reached out to BrightPath regarding Friday's closure and the attorneys' statements issued on Friday.

From May 14: 'More Legal Trouble For Former Avon Daycare Over Child Sex Assault Allegations'

From May 13: 'Avon Daycare Clarifies Sex Assault Suspect's Prior Assignments, Defends Hiring Practices: UPDATE'

From May 8: 'Ex-Preschool Worker Charged In Avon Child Abuse Case Worked At 3 Other Sites: Company'

From April 24: 'Police: Avon Daycare Worker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting 5 Children: UPDATE'

From April 23: 'Avon Child Care Center Announces Closure Following Abuse Allegations, Lawsuit'

From April 9: 'Avon Daycare Sued Over Allegations 3-Year-Old Was Abused: Court.'

From April 1: 'Avon Preschool Employee Accused Of 'Inappropriate Contact:' Police'