A toddler who endured severe mistreatment at a daycare in Manhattan, including bleach being sprayed in her eyes by staff, is set to receive a settlement exceeding $300,000 when she reaches 18 years old, according to recent court filings.
The child’s parents, Miriam Coulibaly and Christopher Luboja, have come to an agreement to resolve a potential lawsuit against Bright Horizons, a prominent daycare provider with over 20 locations in New York City, as noted in a filing from the Manhattan Supreme Court.
The 3-year-old, referred to by the initials “TL” in court documents, allegedly faced physical abuse from employees at Bright Horizons’ Columbus Circle location for several months, beginning in late 2024 and continuing into early last year, the filings claim.
The parents characterized their experience as a nightmare and expressed their confusion regarding the abuse their son was suffering. They noted, “My son had no words to explain the abuse.”
While “TL was not yet old enough to communicate what had happened to him,” there were visible indicators like irritation in his eyes and bleach stains on his clothes upon returning home, they said.
The full extent of the abuse only became clear after a criminal investigation into the now-closed Bright Horizons facility, court documents reveal.
Last year, multiple employees were arrested and charged, allowing TL’s parents to finally “understand and piece together what happened at the hands of BH while their son was enrolled in BH’s daycare program,” the filing explains.
Fortunately, after being removed from Bright Horizons, the inflammation in TL’s eye improved, and doctors confirmed that his vision remained intact.
The family negotiated a settlement of $142,000. However, due to TL’s age, the funds will be held until he turns 18, increasing to at least $332,000—roughly $83,000 annually over four years, based on court records.
Five employees from the Columbus Circle Bright Horizons location were indicted in July 2025 on charges related to the abuse of numerous young children, as stated by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors alleged that multiple children were mistreated, including incidents where workers taped children’s mouths, dragged them around, hit them with metal bottles, and sprayed them with cleaning products containing bleach.
The parents consulted with former Bright Horizons attorney Daniel J. McCurry and opted for a settlement rather than pursuing an extensive lawsuit.
Neither McCurry nor representatives from Bright Horizons have provided comments in response to inquiries.
