On November 8, 2024, the Kinston Police Department was notified of an assault on a 2-year-old child. Officers spoke with the child's parents, who had been informed of the incident by Bethel Christian Academy. The parents were told that the child's teacher, Eunice Massengill (72, of Goldsboro), had hit the child.

After conducting an investigation, detectives obtained a criminal summons for Massengill, charging her with Assault on a Child Under 12. On December 14, 2024, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, NC served the summons.