North Carolina Day Care Worker Allegedly Killed Infant by Laying on Her During Nap in High Point
A grieving North Carolina family filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, alleging that a day care worker at a High Point facility killed their 9-month-old daughter by laying on top of her to force her to nap.
The lawsuit naming the "Sunshine Academy" and former employee Martha Hunt details a harrowing incident from late 2025 that led to the infant's death from mechanical asphyxia.
According to court documents, surveillance footage from the facility shows Hunt placing the infant, identified as Sophia Miller, on a nap mat before lowering her own body weight onto the child for several minutes.
The suit claims this was a "disciplinary tactic" used to stop the child from crying or moving during scheduled nap hours.
"The defendant showed a total disregard for the safety of a defenseless child," the family’s attorney stated during a press conference outside the Guilford County Courthouse.
"This was not an accident; it was a lethal application of force used as a shortcut for childcare."
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) had previously cited the facility for staffing shortages and a lack of proper certifications for several employees, including Hunt.
Following the incident, state regulators revoked the center's operating license, citing "imminent danger to the health and safety of children."
The lawsuit alleges that the owners of Sunshine Academy were aware of Hunt's "aggressive temperament" but failed to terminate her or provide adequate supervision.
Local law enforcement confirmed that criminal charges, including involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse, are currently pending against Hunt, who is out on bond.
The High Point Police Department’s investigation concluded that the infant was left unresponsive for nearly twenty minutes before staff attempted CPR or called emergency services.
"We trusted these people with our daughter's life," the child's father stated in a heart-wrenching testimony. "They treated her like a burden instead of a baby."
The Miller family is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, citing the "extreme physical pain and mental anguish" suffered by the infant and the lifelong trauma inflicted on the parents.
The defense for the day care facility issued a brief statement expressing sympathy for the loss but denying the allegations of systemic negligence, claiming that Hunt acted "outside the scope of her training and employment."
A trial date for the civil suit is expected to be set for late 2026. Meanwhile, child advocacy groups in North Carolina are using the case to push for "Sophia’s Law," which would mandate real-time video access for parents and stricter background checks for all licensed childcare workers in the state.