Judge upholds temporary injunction against Iowa City day-care provider

A Johnson County judge has ruled to keep in effect a temporary injunction issued against an Iowa City day-care provider who was investigated after a family reported last year their 3-month-old child was significantly injured in her care.

Lisa Koplin, 35, told The Gazette in February that she was continuing to watch children in her Iowa City home pending a judge's ruling on the temporary injunction. The Johnson County Attorney's Office filed a motion for a temporary injunction on Jan. 6, and a hearing was held Jan. 24 to determine whether that temporary injunction should stand until the March 15 hearing on a permanent injunction.

Koplin's attorney Natalie Cronk said her client was legally allowed to watch children at her in-home day care, called Tattle Tales Daycare, on a limited basis until the judge ruled on whether the temporary injunction should stand.

Koplin told The Gazette in February that she had been watching some children since the January hearing. But Johnson County Assistant County Attorney Patricia Weir at the time said it was not clear whether Koplin could legally continue running her day care, pending the judge's ruling.

Johnson County District Court Judge Paul Miller on Monday ruled the injunction – which prohibits Koplin from operating her business – should remain in effect until the court issues further orders.

Koplin and Cronk said parents who take or have taken their children to the day care are very supportive, and many of them are expected to speak on Koplin's behalf at next week's hearing.

Koplin and her supporters have said information that has been released through the courts is incomplete and misleading. 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 care.

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 was probably caused by trauma, according to the report. When investigators interviewed Koplin, she said she had been drinking and taking medication prescribed to her husband after the child was taken home that night, the report states.

Investigators said she gave inconsistent accounts about what happened after 2 p.m. Nov. 22.

But Cronk, speaking on behalf of Koplin, has told The Gazette that the mother didn't notice the blood immediately and the child could have been injured after she was taken out of Koplin's care that evening.

Koplin has told The Gazette that the allegations against her have been devastating, forcing her to file for bankruptcy and subjecting her family to harassment.