'She covered it up so well'

'She covered it up so well'

A day-care worker says ex-teacher Wanda Bennett always had excuses for why her son had bumps and bruises

HOWARD M. UNGER

June 3, 2001

Sarasota Herald Tribune

Wanda Bennett could always explain the bruises, burns and Band-Aids.

A scar on 4-year-old Steven's forehead, Bennett told his day-care center, happened after his brothers dragged him across the floor. Swollen hands came from fighting with other boys. Falling out of a car caused a hanging tooth.

Day-care worker Lisa Scott never suspected the skinny boy was being abused.

After all, his mother, Bennett, was a teacher. Before that, she had been a caseworker for the Department of Children and Families for five years. Before that, she spent 14 years on the Dallas Police Department.

Things changed Feb. 20, the morning Steven was dropped off at day care with a bandage over his eye. Bennett said one of his two older brothers sucker-punched him.

After Bennett left, however, Scott took a closer look.

She found the back of Steven's head swollen and the boy was slipping in and out of consciousness. She had her boyfriend call 911.

In an interview last week, Scott said she had no thought of abuse in the five months she watched Steven until that one morning.

"I had no clue," she said. "That was the day I knew something was going on. She covered it up so well, and it really hurts me. I've learned a lot from this."

Scott believed Bennett, she said, because she also cared for Steven's older brothers and knew they could be rough.

There were hints, though, according to Scott's statement to investigators. Once, after Scott suggested counseling for the boy, the former cop said Steven's counselor "was right here -- my size 11 shoe."

On Feb. 20, Steven was taken to All Children's Hospital, according to court documents, where doctors were shocked.

Steven had six fractures, cigarette burns and countless scratches. He was "severely malnourished."

Most of the fractures, on his feet, hands and fingers, were two to three weeks old, doctors reported. Steven weighed 38 pounds and measured 39 inches tall.

Compared with other boys his age, growth charts showed he was in the 25th percentile for his weight and 10th percentile for his height.

Within days, Bennett was charged with two felony counts of child abuse. After being called into a supervisor's office, she was arrested at Harllee Middle School, where she taught special education. If convicted, she could serve up to 30 years in prison.

Last week, Bennett, who remains in the Manatee County jail, was fired from Harllee, where she had worked for a year.

In police interviews after the arrest, Steven's two older brothers said that Bennett, 40, tied the boy's hands behind his back with old socks, beat him with a plastic baseball bat and spanked him with her shoe.

Bennett would get angry, they said, if Steven tried to steal food from their Bradenton house.

The two, as well as Steven's 2-year-old brother, were also examined, and doctors found more scars and wounds.

One showed a 10-inch scar on his arm, possibly from a hot iron. Another was burned by a stove.

Inspectors from Lifelink, a private agency which licenses potential foster parents, never reported abuse.

Walter Skogland, who quit the agency after Bennett was arrested, had been doing home visits with Steven since 1997.

He told Bradenton detectives he "never observed any unusual behavior or injury to the children that would cause concern."

Since leaving Lifelink, Skogland has been unreachable.

His director, Phil Hendrick, resigned Friday. He said his decision was not related to the Bennett arrest.

A social worker who used to work with Bennett told detectives she was shocked by Steven's reported injuries.

"Wanda's mission was to adopt and help as many black males as she could so that they would stay out of prison and grow up in a good home," Wanda Given told investigators.

Given refused to comment to the Herald-Tribune.

The boys are now in foster care and Steven has been relocated to Missouri.

Lisa Scott said she misses him, but she knows she did the right thing.

"When it comes to a child, you protect that child. That's what I did, and that's what I'm going to do in court -- protect him," she said.