Parents File Lawsuit Against Employee Accused of Lying on Toddler While Using Phone

A tragic incident at a daycare center in Lenoir, North Carolina, has led to a lawsuit following the death of a 16-month-old girl. The lawsuit claims that a daycare worker caused the child to suffocate by lying on top of her while distracted by her phone.

Madolyn “Maddy” Amara-Serenity Mitchell was attending her first day at Creative Beginnings, a daycare just outside Charlotte, on May 19, 2025. Tragically, this was also the day her young life came to an untimely end.

The lawsuit, filed by Maddy’s grieving parents on Monday, alleges that 29-year-old daycare employee Alexandra Coffey was responsible for the child’s death. It is claimed that Coffey, while using her phone, inadvertently smothered Maddy by placing her weight on the toddler.

The legal documents outline that Coffey attempted to put Maddy down for a nap on a mat. When the little girl resisted sleep, Coffey allegedly turned her face down and covered her with a blanket, leading to the tragic outcome.

Coffey allegedly placed the little girl on a mat for a nap, but when the toddler refused to sleep, she placed her face down and put a blanket over her head. 

She then placed one of the girl’s legs between hers and lay down on top of her upper body near her neck, the lawsuit, viewed by the Daily Mail, said. 

For several minutes, the girl’s free leg kicked before falling still, which Coffey ignored as she continued scrolling on her phone, per the suit. 

She eventually got off the girl, leaving her under the blanket. Coffey allegedly did not check on the child for three hours, the lawsuit said. 

Madolyn ‘Maddy’ Amara-Serenity Mitchell died on May 19, 2025, after a daycare worker allegedly smothered her to death while forcing her to take a nap 

Alexandra Coffey, 29, faces involuntary manslaughter charges for Mitchell’s death after she allegedly laid on top of the girl while scrolling on her phone 

When she finally returned to check on Mitchell, the girl was dead and had become stiff due to rigor mortis. 

Coffey then carried the girl’s body into another room before calling 911. First responders were unable to revive Mitchell, the lawsuit said. 

The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Mitchell’s death a homicide. 

Her parents, Angel Dawn Blankenship and Jovon Jerell Mitchell, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Coffey on Monday, alleging that she was negligent in her care of their daughter. 

They said Coffey was obligated to ‘constantly supervise Maddy to prevent accidents, injuries, or death’ and to ‘constantly maintain a safe environment.’ 

The parents are demanding a jury trial and at least $50,000 in damages. 

Coffey was arrested in 2025 on involuntary manslaughter charges and is being held in the Caldwell County Jail on a $500,000 bond. 

Creative Beginnings acknowledged the tragedy after it happened, writing on Facebook: ‘Our hearts are broken, and we’re struggling to find the right words in the face of such sorrow. 

Mitchell’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Monday against Coffey, saying she was negligent for not caring properly for their daughter 

Creative Beginnings had its license stripped from them shortly after Mitchell died 

‘Please keep our teachers, staff and everyone who loved this precious child in your prayers, but especially the family, as they grieve the unimaginable loss of their child.’ 

A state inspection performed in 2024 found not all the teachers were certified in CPR or first aid, WCNC said. 

Shortly after the incident, the state Health Department ordered the facility to close after it revoked its license.