By Sula Kim
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JEFFERSON PARISH, Louisiana (WDSU) — A Jefferson Parish family says the alleged sexual assault of their 3-year-old daughter at a Metairie preschool changed their lives forever — and led them to help change Louisiana law.
Roger and Jana Williams claim their daughter was sexually assaulted by another child while attending Kehoe-France’s Metairie campus in March 2024. Their daughter was 3 years old at the time.
“The biggest thing is we want to make sure this can’t happen to another family,” Roger Williams said.
According to the family, they became concerned after their daughter came home from school with physical injuries.
“The physical signs we found were alarming,” Roger Williams said. “It wasn’t just that she came home and said somebody touched her. My daughter came home with blood in her underwear and she said somebody touched her.”
Roger said they immediately took their daughter to the hospital and notified school officials.
Jana Williams said the emotional impact on their daughter lasted long after the alleged incident.
“It was very difficult for quite some time for her,” she said.
Roger Williams said that when they attempted to file a report with the Louisiana Department of Education, they discovered what they believed were significant gaps in oversight of some private preschool programs.
“We found out there’s this large gap in Louisiana law that allows nonpublic schools attached to a day school — they’re not required to be licensed,” Williams said. “There are 254 programs, I believe, in the state of Louisiana that aren’t required to be licensed. That’s when we headed to the Legislature.”
During the 2025 legislative session, the couple made dozens of trips to Baton Rouge, testifying before lawmakers in support of stronger protections for children in early learning programs.
Working alongside State Sen. Regina Barrow, they helped inspire the passage of what became known as Charlie’s Law.
The legislation made sweeping changes to the regulation of preschool programs, including stricter reporting requirements when abuse or suspected abuse is alleged and licensing requirements for private and religious early learning programs.
During a Senate hearing after the bill’s passage, an emotional Roger Williams thanked lawmakers.
“Today I’m not just here to say thank you,” he said through tears. “I’m here to say let’s keep going. Let’s keep closing the gap. Let’s make Louisiana the safest place for kids to grow up because our kids deserve nothing less.”
Barrow praised the family’s advocacy during the same hearing.
“Because of you guys, I believe multiple children are going to be saved and will not go through that heartache, and multiple families will be saved,” she said.
Although Charlie’s Law survived legal challenges after courts declined to block it, lawmakers revisited the legislation during the 2026 legislative session.
The law was amended to exempt private school pre-K programs from the licensing requirements that had originally been included.
State Sen. Beth Mizell, who sponsored the legislation making those changes, said other accountability and safety standards remained in place despite the exemption.
Meanwhile, the Williams family has filed a civil lawsuit against Kehoe-France, alleging negligent supervision.
WDSU reached out to Kehoe-France for comment. Executive Head of School Dr. Tanya Price denied the allegations in a statement, saying the school remains committed to the safety and confidentiality of its students.
The statement said, “The safety and well-being of our students are Kehoe-France’s highest priorities. Kehoe-France disagrees with the allegations made against the school and will continue to defend itself through the legal process. Because this matter is the subject of active litigation, we will not litigate the case through the media or comment on individual allegations or evidence. With respect to recent media reports, Kehoe-France has not been contacted by the FBI regarding this matter and will not speculate regarding any potential investigation. The appropriate forum for resolving the claims against the school is the court, where all relevant facts and evidence can be considered in their entirety and in context. In the meantime, our focus remains where it belongs: on our students and providing them with a safe, supportive, and positive educational experience. We remain committed to protecting student confidentiality and to the well-being and success of every student entrusted to our care.”
Roger Williams believes their family’s experience exposed broader issues beyond their own case.
“At the end of the day, the system failed at all levels of government,” he said. “This is an issue that needed to be corrected and brought to light.”
Today, the couple said their daughter is 6 years old, attending a new school and continuing therapy.
“I think she’s doing great, all things considered,” Jana Williams said. “She made friends, she’s got teachers now, and she’s enjoying the community at her new school.”
She said rebuilding trust after the experience wasn’t easy.
“It took a lot to get there, where you feel comfortable with somebody else watching your kid again,” Jana Williams said.
The couple said sharing their family’s story is painful, but they hope it helps prevent other families from experiencing similar trauma.
“There are more people than you think — families out there that are struggling with this,” Jana Williams said. “I want them to know I’m with them, and I get them. I know the pain and roller coaster of emotions they’re going through.”
For Roger Williams, that mission remains the driving force behind everything they continue to do.
“We want to make sure this can’t happen to another family,” he said.
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