Bright Horizons Family Solutions is facing a cluster of lawsuits and legal actions that span criminal charges against former daycare workers in Manhattan, class actions over non-compete clauses in Washington and wage practices in California, a reinstated race discrimination case in the Second Circuit, a Pennsylvania sexual abuse civil suit tied to a convicted former assistant director, and securities fraud investigations by multiple shareholder firms. Several matters have already produced convictions, settlements, and permit surrenders; others remain pending.
Manhattan Toddler Abuse Case and Columbus Circle Closure
In July 2025, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced grand jury indictments of three former employees at the Bright Horizons center at 910 Eighth Avenue near Columbus Circle, on charges related to the abuse of toddlers aged 12 to 24 months.1Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. D.A. Bragg: Bright Horizons Day Care Workers Charged With Abusing, Mistreating Toddlers
Evelyn Vargas, 47, was charged with three counts of second-degree assault, one count of second-degree strangulation, four counts of attempted second-degree assault, and nine counts of endangering the welfare of a child, for alleged abuse of at least nine toddlers between September 2023 and February 2025. Latia Townes, 24, was charged with three counts of attempted second-degree assault and five counts of child endangerment. Shakia Henley, 37, was charged with four counts of child endangerment for allegedly spraying at least two toddlers with cleaning supplies containing bleach.1Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. D.A. Bragg: Bright Horizons Day Care Workers Charged With Abusing, Mistreating Toddlers
Prosecutors alleged the conduct included covering children’s mouths with packing tape, dragging a girl by her hair, hitting children with metal water bottles, and spraying a child in the face with a mixture of soap, water, and bleach. They said “dozens of children” suffered abuse at the location.2CBS News New York. Bright Horizons at Columbus Circle Day Care Water Pitcher Bleach3New York Post. NYC Toddler Sprayed With Bleach by Daycare Workers to Get $300K Payout
Henley pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one misdemeanor count of child endangerment and was sentenced on March 18, 2026, to three years of probation.4The New York Times. Bright Horizons Settlement Permits The cases against Vargas and Townes appear to remain pending.
On the civil side, the parents of a toddler identified as “T.L.” reached a $142,000 settlement with Bright Horizons in lieu of filing suit. The funds are being held in trust for the minor and are projected to grow to at least $332,000 by the time the child turns 18.3New York Post. NYC Toddler Sprayed With Bleach by Daycare Workers to Get $300K Payout
Separately, in October 2025 a staff member at the same center mistakenly filled a classroom water pitcher with a diluted cleaning solution containing bleach, which was served to children. At least one child drank it. The New York City Health Department ordered an indefinite shutdown of the preschool program. By March 2026, Bright Horizons agreed to permanently surrender its operating permits for the Columbus Circle location as part of a settlement with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and to open no new child care centers in New York City for the remainder of 2026.2CBS News New York. Bright Horizons at Columbus Circle Day Care Water Pitcher Bleach4The New York Times. Bright Horizons Settlement Permits
Washington Non-Compete Class Action Settlement
In December 2022, former Bright Horizons teacher Chelsea Rutter filed a class action in King County Superior Court in Seattle, represented by Towards Justice and the Terrell Marshall Law Group. The complaint challenged a clause in Bright Horizons’ family enrollment contracts requiring parents to pay a $5,000 “placement fee” if they hired a former Bright Horizons employee within six months of that employee’s departure.5Towards Justice. Class Action Filed Alleging Corporate Childcare Provider Uses Illegal Non-Compete Plaintiffs argued the clause operated as an illegal non-compete under a Washington law, in effect since 2020, that bars non-compete agreements for workers earning under $100,000, and also violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act.6Towards Justice. Class Action Complaint (PDF)
The parties reached a $3 million class action settlement that received preliminary court approval by March 2026. The class covers teachers who worked at Bright Horizons childcare centers in Washington State between January 1, 2020, and March 5, 2026. Class members who do not opt out receive an equal share of the net settlement fund automatically, with no claim form required. Bright Horizons denies wrongdoing, and the court has made no ruling on the merits. A final approval hearing is scheduled for July 24, 2026.7Bright Horizons Settlement. Rutter and Chavez v. Bright Horizons Settlement8Bright Horizons Settlement. Settlement Class Notice (PDF)
California Wage and Hour Class Action
In August 2024, Capstone Law APC filed a class and representative action in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Larsen v. Bright Horizons Children’s Centers LLC, Case No. 24CV446083. The suit covers non-exempt, hourly employees who worked for Bright Horizons in California from August 28, 2020, to the present.9BHCCLawsuit.com. Larsen v. Bright Horizons Children’s Centers LLC
The complaint alleges failure to pay overtime, miscalculation of the overtime rate, off-the-clock work, denial of timely and uninterrupted meal and rest breaks, deficient wage statements, and failure to reimburse work-related expenses, among other California Labor Code violations. In September 2024, the court deemed the case “complex” and stayed discovery and responsive pleading deadlines.10PlainSite. Larsen v. Bright Horizons Children’s Centers LLC – Santa Clara County Superior Court No class certification or settlement has been reported.
Race Discrimination Case Reinstated on Appeal
Amanda Brooks, a Black woman and former Bright Horizons center director, sued the company in the Southern District of New York (Case No. 1:2024-cv-06076), alleging race discrimination and retaliation under Title VII and 42 U.S.C. § 1981. Brooks alleged that after regional manager Robin Caron was appointed in December 2020, she was subjected to micromanagement, saw her programmatic initiatives dismantled, and was passed over for a regional manager promotion in favor of a candidate outside her protected class who she said lacked required supervisory experience. She further alleged she was fired over a COVID-19 protocol violation while a white director involved in the same situation faced no consequences.11Law360. 2nd Circ. Reopens Black Child Care Director’s Race Bias Suit
The district court dismissed the case in 2025. In June 2026, the Second Circuit reversed, reinstating Brooks’s Title VII and § 1981 claims for discriminatory termination and her § 1981 claim for failure to promote. The appellate panel concluded she had plausibly alleged discriminatory intent by pointing to more favorable treatment of non-Black colleagues and by alleging she was replaced by a white employee. The case returns to the district court for further proceedings.12Pospis Law. Second Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Race-Based Discrimination Claims
Pennsylvania Sexual Abuse Civil Suit
In January 2020, the parents of a minor identified as “Jack Doe” sued Bright Horizons, Penn State University, Creative Beginnings Child Care, and Hildebrandt Learning Centers in Philadelphia County. The complaint alleged that Andrew McCollin, a former assistant director at Creative Beginnings in Reading, Pennsylvania, sexually abused their son on a “serial and repeated basis” between June 2017 and August 2019. Claims included negligence, negligent supervision, negligent hiring and retention, and premises liability.13Legal Newsline. Lawsuit Alleges 5-Year-Old Child Was Molested at Penn State-Affiliated Child Care Facility
McCollin, arrested in August 2019, was convicted by a jury in September 2021. In March 2022, a Berks County judge sentenced him to 34 to 68 years in state prison followed by 40 years of probation, and designated him a sexually violent predator.14Reading Eagle. Former Berks Day Care Worker Gets Long Prison Term for Sexually Assaulting Children The civil case was transferred from Philadelphia to Berks County, and the Superior Court of Pennsylvania affirmed that transfer in 2021.15Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Doe v. Bright Horizons, No. 1733 EDA 2020 The final resolution of the civil claims is not reflected in the available record.
Securities Fraud Investigations
In February 2026, Bright Horizons reported fourth-quarter 2025 results showing a 25% drop in net income to $22 million and a 24% decline in diluted earnings per share to $0.38, citing $14.8 million in impairment and lease termination costs tied to facility closures. The company projected 45 to 50 facility closures in 2026, nearly double an earlier estimate of 25 to 30. The stock fell $14.93, or 18.25%, to close at $66.90 the next day.16GlobeNewsWire. Investor Alert: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims on Behalf of Investors of Bright Horizons Family Solutions
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP announced a securities fraud investigation on February 19, 2026, and Pomerantz LLP followed on March 3, 2026, each looking at whether the company or its officers and directors violated federal securities laws.17Business Wire. Securities Fraud Investigation Into Bright Horizons Family Solutions Announced These are investigations only; no formal securities fraud lawsuit has been filed in the available record.
New York City Regulatory Concerns Beyond Columbus Circle
Bright Horizons holds city contracts for 20 other centers in New York City. The NYC Education Department has paid the company more than $100 million over the past five years to operate pre-K and 3-K programs.18The New York Times. Bright Horizons NYC Child Care
City inspectors documented health and safety violations across Bright Horizons centers over a two-year period, including teachers working before background checks were completed, staff failing to follow emergency protocols after injuries, a six-year-old left behind in a park after a day camp outing, an unexplained head injury to a baby, and a child consuming a stray pill.18The New York Times. Bright Horizons NYC Child Care Aside from the Columbus Circle permit surrender, the record does not show a broader city-wide contract suspension or formal audit of all Bright Horizons locations.