Day care workers went without food, formula because paychecks bounced, former employees say
Franklin Springs Academy, which operates in Chapel Hill and Franklin, received more than $500,000 in federal money designed to support childcare centers during and after COVID.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - WSMV4 uncovered new problems for a troubled Tennessee day care. Franklin Springs Academy, which operates locations in Chapel Hill and Franklin, received more than $500,000 in federal help to support daycares. But, Amanda Hara discovered employee paychecks have been bouncing for months.
Franklin Springs Academy in Chapel Hill is the same daycare that allowed a teacher to keep working with kids a year after pulling a child off a table by the back of her hair. The worker was later convicted of child abuse and neglect.
The day care also made news when the owner’s husband was arrested on rape charges involving an underage victim.
Now, former employees reveal they were repeatedly owed money.
Liliana Trejo Sabanilla says there’s no question that working with children is what she was called to do. But, at Franklin Springs Academy in Chapel Hill, she says there was always a question about whether she’d be paid to do it.
“Checks started bouncing and it was like first come first serve so whoever could make it to the bank first was able to get their money,” Sabanilla said.
Sabanilla worked at Franklin Springs Academy from 2017 until 2024, except for a few months during the height of COVID. During that time, she says her paychecks bounced more than once.
Her bank statement shows at least seven chargebacks on checks from Franklin Springs Academy as early as August of last year. Banking experts say there are several reasons that a check could be charged back. In most cases, it’s because the company or individual who wrote the check does not have sufficient funds to cover the check.
Sabanilla says she also received a notice from her bank showing a paycheck from FSA was returned citing insufficient funds.
And, WSMV4 uncovered that she’s not alone.
The very same month, another worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the same thing happened to her. Her paycheck was also returned for insufficient funds.
Sabanilla says she relied on savings to get by, but some of her coworkers didn’t have that kind of fallback. “I would hear them say they didn’t have money to pay for their rent. That they would have to go without food for a few days. Formula and stuff like that and it was just like, I’m so sorry,” Sabanilla recalled.
State records show Franklin Springs Academy received multiple federal grants worth more than $500,000 to help pay for things like employee wagers. It was all part of the American Rescue Plan Act designed to support childcare centers during and after COVID.
Sabanilla wasn’t aware of that until WSMV4 told her, “You just let them suffer during that time. Like, that’s not fair that you did that.”
WSMV4 has called and texted Franklin Springs Academy owner Rebekah Proctor to ask why checks keep bouncing. She hasn’t answered but did respond to workers over text message when confronted about the paychecks.
In at least two text messages she told workers she was planning to sell a horse to come up with the cash.
An email that workers say was sent by Rebekah and Corey Proctor last August said, “The construction delays we’ve experienced for our Franklin location putting us 18 months behind schedule has made things difficult...If you have had check issues please let me know directly with a screenshot or image so I can take care of it after the holiday weekend.”
Sabanilla says she continued working for Franklin Springs Academy for some seven years because she enjoyed working with the children. But she says when that joy left, so did she.
“These are my kids, and I’m having to leave them and I still miss them,” she said.
Franklin Springs Academy is closing its Chapel Hill location on September 27, citing a loss of lease as the reason. However, it still runs the Franklin location and employees there report they’re having similar issues getting paid.
Some workers took their complaints to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development in November. But, the investigation stalled when the filers failed to follow up with more details.
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