Black Parents Whose 9-Month-Old Died at Florida Daycare Center Win $5M Settlement

The parents of Tayvon Tomlin, a 9-month-old baby who died after he was found unresponsive at Lincoln-Marti daycare center in Miami, Florida, have reached a $5 million settlement with the owners of the business.

The settlement happened nearly 7 months after Tayvon died. Since then, the official cause of death and results of the police investigation still aren’t complete.

In October, Tayvon’s parents Keiara Whorley and Devonte Tomlin filed a lawsuit over his death, accusing Lincoln-Marti of “incompetence, poor training, and inadequate staffing.”

According to court documents, Lincoln-Marti admitted that they knowingly violated Florida laws that require one daycare worker for at least every four infants in a facility. There was one worker for at least seven infants on July 19, the day of the incident.

Surveillance footage indicated that the babies were left completely unattended for 45 minutes. When the caretaker returned, she found Tayvon unresponsive with a slight pulse. The daycare workers attempted to do CPR as seen on the video, but it appeared to be inappropriate.

Tayvon was then taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, his parents are still seeking answers on what exactly happened. They had to drop the lawsuit as part of the settlement and they hope it would hold the daycare accountable. They also wish there would be a reform on daycare center protocols to prevent it from happening again.