Care provider accused of abuse watching children pending court ruling

An Iowa City daycare provider ordered to shutter her business in January after a family reported their 3-month-old child was significantly injured in her care is continuing to watch children pending a judge's ruling on a temporary injunction.

“My doors are open, and I do have some children,” said Lisa Koplin, 35, of Iowa City, who is not facing criminal charges in the case. “All the families are being supportive.”

Koplin's attorney Natalie Cronk said it's unclear when a judge will rule on the state's request for a temporary injunction to remain in place on Koplin's Tattle Tales Daycare, 1009 Sandusky Dr. in Iowa City.

“But she is currently permitted to watch children in a limited context,” said Cronk said.

The Johnson County Attorney's Office filed a motion for a temporary injunction on Jan. 6, according to court records, and a hearing on whether the temporary injunction should stand was held Jan. 24.

At that hearing, Cronk argued that her client doesn't fall under the purview of the law being cited for an injunction.

“Our position is that the statute does not allow the state to get an injunction against a person who doesn't meet statutory requirements,” Cronk said.

A hearing on a permanent injunction for Tattle Tales Daycare is scheduled for March 15, and some of the parents who take their children to Koplin's daycare are expected to show up in support.

“Until the hearing on March 15, there is nothing legally preventing Ms. Koplin from providing daycare,” Cronk said. “However, there is still a dispute about that between the state and Ms. Koplin.”

Johnson County Assistant County Attorney Patricia Weir said the court issued a temporary injunction in early January, and it's “not at all clear” whether Koplin is legally allowed to care for children while the two sides await the judge's ruling.

“We'll soon know what the court thinks of the legal arguments that we made,” she said. “My assessment is that the temporary injunction remains in place until it's altered by a court order.”

According to an affidavit filed by the Iowa Department of Human Services on Nov. 22, a mother reported that her 3-month-old child had blood collecting in her mouth and dried blood on her face, cheeks and clothing when she picked her up from Koplin's daycare.

The mother told investigators that she couldn't reach Koplin after noticing the blood, so she took her baby to Mercy Iowa City Emergency Care, where the child began vomiting blood, according to the affidavit.

The baby was treated in the intensive care unit until Nov. 25 for a laceration to the back of the throat, which doctors said likely was caused by trauma, the report stated.

When interviewed by investigators, Koplin said she had been drinking and taking medication prescribed to her husband after the child was taken home that night, according to the report. Investigators said she provided “inconsistent accounts” about what happened after 2 p.m. Nov. 22.

But Cronk said the mother didn't immediately notice the blood and there “were a lot of mechanisms for this child to be injured that make it more likely than not that she was hurt after she was taken away from the home at 5:20 p.m.”

Cronk said witnesses who saw and interacted with Koplin on the night the child was hospitalized said there was no indication Koplin had been under the influence at the time she was providing daycare.

Since the allegations have become public, Cronk said, Koplin and her family have been the victims of harassment.

“Anytime someone is accused of hurting children, they become prone to a special kind of abuse by the public,” Cronk said. “I think it has been inescapable for Lisa and, more importantly, her family.”

Koplin said the case has been devastating, forcing her into bankruptcy. She said none of the allegations against her are true, and she never consumed alcohol while watching children.

“The first officer didn't get here until 10 minutes to 7 p.m., and I was drinking wine at the time,” she said. “That's how this all spiraled out of control.”

She said much of what was originally reported is untrue.

“So we will continue to go further with this so I can prove my innocence and save my reputation that's been destroyed,” she said.