AVON, CT — Five additional lawsuits have been filed against BrightPath Avon in connection with allegations of misconduct involving a former employee, including what attorneys say is the first civil case filed on behalf of a female child.
The new lawsuits double the number of pending civil cases, according to a Tuesday announcement from attorneys representing families of children who attended the Avon child care facility. BrightPath's parent company is Busy Bees.
The litigation involves allegations concerning former employee Jan Carlos Berrios-Otero, who has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges against him.
The allegations in the civil lawsuits remain pending and have not been proven in court.
"Five more families are now seeking answers and accountability for what happened to their children while they were entrusted to BrightPath's care," attorney Eric Schoenberg said in a statement released Tuesday. "We continue to learn more about the scope of what occurred inside this daycare and the failures that allowed it to happen."
Attorneys said one of the five new lawsuits was filed on behalf of a female child who attended the facility, marking the first such case among the lawsuits they have filed.
"The filing involving a female child is an important development in this case," attorney Sarah Klein said in the statement. "It reinforces what we have said from the beginning: every family whose child was in Berrios Otero's care deserves to understand what happened inside that classroom."
Klein said attorneys continue to gather information and do not believe the full scope of the alleged harm is yet known.
Schoenberg also said families do not need to have criminal charges filed in connection with their individual child to pursue a civil action.
Berrios-Otero, a former employee of the now-closed BrightPath Avon Early Learning and Child Care Center on Simsbury Road, appeared in court Sept. 15 for pretrial proceedings in the criminal case against him.
Avon police initially arrested Berrios-Otero on April 1 following an investigation that began after daycare administrators reported suspected inappropriate contact involving a child.
Authorities subsequently expanded the investigation and brought additional charges involving six alleged incidents and five children, according to police and court records previously provided.
Berrios-Otero has faced multiple counts, including fourth-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor, and aggravated sexual assault of a minor.
Authorities have said several of the alleged victims were younger than 13.
The allegations have also resulted in civil litigation involving families and the Avon center, which has since closed.
The center's owners cited the legal situation as a primary reason for shutting down operations.
Berrios-Otero remains held on a combined $3.6 million bond and is scheduled to return to court Oct. 20.
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