Teacher gets probation for not reporting child forced to eat vomit

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (WISH) — A North Salem woman has been sentenced to probation after she was criminally charged with failing to report a boy at Brown Elementary was forced to eat vomit in February 2023, court records show.

Julie L. Taylor worked as a Life Skills teacher at the Brownsburg Community Schools when the incident happened to the student.

Taylor pleaded guilty Sept. 4. As part of her sentence on Tuesday in Hendricks Superior Court 2, Taylor was told she can request to have her case be expunged after she completes probation.

According to police, another Life Skills teacher, Sara Seymour, advised the child that he would be made to eat his vomit, and Taylor provided the tray for the child to vomit on. Life Skills instructional aide Debra Kanipe Kanipe provided the spoon the child was made to eat the vomit with. Life Skills instructional aide Kristen Mitchell and K1ds Count Therapy registered behavioral technician Meghan King were present and witnessed the incident. All of them were criminally charged.

King pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation in September.

The Brownsburg school district reported that it had terminated two special education staff members, who were not named, after its investigation of the incident.

The school district learned about the incident in April 12, 2023, and reported the incident to police, which led to the criminal charges.

Video had captured the incident, police said.

Capt. Jennifer Barrett with the Brownsburg Police Department in August 2023 said of the child, “His cognitive disability is one where he is unable to recall certain events, such as this memory, which is why it was never reported. He was not able to recall that to tell his parent or a trusted adult.”

Charges initially announced by the Hendricks County Prosecutor’s Office were as follows:

• Brown Elementary Life Skills Teacher Sara Seymour, 27, was charged with neglect of a dependent as a Level 6 felony, and failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.
• Brown Elementary Life Skills Instructional Aide Debra Kanipe, 63, was charged with neglect of a dependent as a Level 6 felony, and failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.
• Brown Elementary Life Skills Teacher Julie Taylor, 48, was charged with failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.
• Brown Elementary Life Skills Instructional Aide Kristen Mitchell, 38, was charged with failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.
• K1ds Count Registered Behavioral Technician Meghan King, 24, was charged with failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.