Myrtle Beach-area daycare ‘abused and mistreated’ 5-year-old child, new lawsuit alleges

Staff at a Grand Strand daycare abused a 5-year-old child, a lawsuit filed on March 31 alleges.

Horry County resident Alyssa Hemsing is suing The Learning Station CDC LLC, alleging her son was mistreated at the daycare’s Conway location at 690 Singleton Ridge Road in the summer of 2023.

According to the lawsuit, an employee held Hemsing’s then-5-year-old son down by his arms multiple times, staff withheld his lunch on several occasions and the child was able to leave the building unaccompanied through an emergency exit because he wasn’t monitored.

“Ms. Hemsing had the expectation that The Learning Station would provide a loving, nurturing and most importantly safe learning environment for her son,” the lawsuit says. “During the summer program, [Hemsing’s son] was abused and mistreated.”

A statement from The Learning Station that owner Donna Jensen shared with The Sun News by email said Hemsing’s son “exhibited ongoing, severe behavioral challenges — including physical aggression towards other students and teachers and repeated attempts to run out of the facility.”

The lawsuit alleges staff at The Learning Station lacked the demeanor and fortitude to care for children, acting “in an egregious and arbitrary manner,” with reckless disregard for the wellbeing of the children in their care.

According to the daycare’s statement, staff worked “extensively” with the child and had multiple inventions before he was “disenrolled for safety reasons.”

The lawsuit also claims the daycare negligently hired several employees and failed to properly train and supervise employees, institute proper policies and procedures, remedy employees’ improper conduct and protect the child.

“The injuries suffered by [Hemsing’s son] as a result of the negligent and grossly negligent conduct of [The Learning Station] caused and continues to cause him damages to include and not be limited to mental anguish and emotional distress,” the suit says.

The Learning Station alleged the Hemsing family filed a complaint in 2024, which was investigated and found to be unsubstantiated.

“One incident referenced involved a trained behavior specialist appropriately intervening to prevent the child from running out of the building,” the daycare’s statement says. “The second was that our school was the cause of his behaviors which consequently led to his expulsion from future schools attended–per the licensing representative.”

The Sun News reached out to the Child Care Licensing Pee Dee Region in the Department of Social Services’ Division of Early Care and Education to confirm that a complaint was filed and an investigation was conducted, but did not receive an immediate response.

Hemsing is seeking actual damages greater than $100,000, as well as punitive damages, lawsuit costs and any further relief the court deems just.

The Sun News contacted DeShawn Mitchell, the attorney representing Hemsing, but didn’t receive a response before publication.

This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 6:00 AM.