3.Susan Fraoni — Direct/Cross
100 linesMS. SPRAGUE: Commonwealth calls Susan Fraoni.
THE COURT: Thank you. Good morning.
SUSAN FRAONI: Good morning.
THE COURT: I'm gonna ask you to keep your voice up and speak into that microphone. Attorney Sprague, please?
MS. SPRAGUE: Thank you. Can you please state and spell your name for the record?
SUSAN FRAONI: Susan Fraoni. S-U-S-A-N F-R-A-O-N-I.
MS. SPRAGUE: And your date of birth?
SUSAN FRAONI: 11/26/82.
MS. SPRAGUE: Where do you work?
SUSAN FRAONI: Learning Sprouts.
MS. SPRAGUE: And how long have you been working at Learning Sprouts?
SUSAN FRAONI: Almost six years.
MS. SPRAGUE: What is Learning Sprouts?
SUSAN FRAONI: Preschool daycare.
MS. SPRAGUE: What age range of kids attend Learning Sprouts?
SUSAN FRAONI: Fifteen months to about five years.
MS. SPRAGUE: And what age range do you teach?
SUSAN FRAONI: The about three-year-olds to four-year-olds.
MS. SPRAGUE: And back in January of 2023, what age range were you focused on teaching?
SUSAN FRAONI: The three-year-old, four-year-olds.
MS. SPRAGUE: Was Dawson Clancy in your classroom?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: When did he start in your classroom?
SUSAN FRAONI: September of '22.
MS. SPRAGUE: And did you know Cora Clancy as well?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: How did you know Cora?
SUSAN FRAONI: Most of the teachers help out in all the classrooms, so we get to know all the children.
MS. SPRAGUE: And did you teach Dawson from September of 2022 until you went on maternity leave later on in 2022?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: Do you remember what month that was in that you went on leave?
SUSAN FRAONI: November.
MS. SPRAGUE: Prior to going on leave, so from September to November of 2022, were there any issues with Dawson?
SUSAN FRAONI: He started having harder drop-offs around mid-October, I would say.
MS. SPRAGUE: Is that typical for that age, or is that something unusual?
SUSAN FRAONI: Sometimes, yes. It was a little not typical for Dawson.
MS. SPRAGUE: So prior to that, he was fine at drop-offs, and then sometime in October, drop-offs became a little harder for him?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And did that resolve over time?
SUSAN FRAONI: Sometimes he would have better drop-offs, other times... But then I went on leave, so.
MS. SPRAGUE: And after you went on leave, sometime after Thanksgiving of 2022, did you see Lindsay Clancy, Dawson's mother?
SUSAN FRAONI: Don't really remember. I think I did.
MS. SPRAGUE: Do you recall having a conversation with Lindsay where she asked you how your baby was and how you were doing?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes. We did have a conversation at some point, 'cause I was still bringing my oldest daughter to school every day.
MS. SPRAGUE: Okay. And so you had your child in November, and then this conversation is sometime either around or after Thanksgiving?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And when you had this conversation and interaction with Lindsay Clancy, was that at the school?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And how was her demeanor?
SUSAN FRAONI: Fine.
MS. SPRAGUE: Was it any different than any other time you had seen her?
SUSAN FRAONI: No.
MS. SPRAGUE: Did she appear to understand you?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: Did you have any trouble understanding her?
SUSAN FRAONI: No.
MS. SPRAGUE: Did you have any concerns about her at that time?
SUSAN FRAONI: No.
MS. SPRAGUE: Was that the last time you saw her?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And you're a mandated reporter, correct?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: So if you had seen anything about Dawson's behavior or about the parents' behavior at any point that caused you concern, you would have had to report that, correct?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MS. SPRAGUE: And at no time did you make any reports about the family or the children or the parents?
SUSAN FRAONI: No.
MS. SPRAGUE: When you had that conversation with Lindsay Clancy sometime in November of 2022, did she ever say anything about insomnia or not feeling well or being depressed or anything like that?
SUSAN FRAONI: No.
MS. SPRAGUE: Thank you.
THE COURT: All right. Cross.
MR. REDDINGTON: Morning.
SUSAN FRAONI: Morning.
MR. REDDINGTON: So how long did you, in your capacity as a teacher at Learning Sprouts, know the Clancys?
SUSAN FRAONI: I started at Learning Sprouts in November of 2020, and Cora was in preschool at the time.
MR. REDDINGTON: Okay. So you obviously saw the kids on a fairly regular basis.
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MR. REDDINGTON: And forgive me, what is a drop-off? What does that mean? I'm sorry.
SUSAN FRAONI: When the parents drop the children off at school.
MR. REDDINGTON: Okay. And when district attorney asks you, were there difficult drop-offs, what does that mean?
SUSAN FRAONI: Sometimes when parents drop the children off, they'll be a little clingy or they cry. Excuse me.
MR. REDDINGTON: Okay.
SUSAN FRAONI: Or they cry.
MR. REDDINGTON: And that would be the child would cry.
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MR. REDDINGTON: Maybe the parent either, I don't know. But—
SUSAN FRAONI: Sometimes.
MR. REDDINGTON: Would... So do you rec— Did they have difficult drop-offs on occasion, I guess?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MR. REDDINGTON: That Dawson would cry?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MR. REDDINGTON: How would Lindsay react? Was she okay? Did she take... Did she seem concerned as a parent?
SUSAN FRAONI: I wasn't seeing as much of Lindsay. I was seeing more of Patrick.
MR. REDDINGTON: Okay. And Dawson appeared to be healthy and happy and engaged?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MR. REDDINGTON: As well as Cora?
SUSAN FRAONI: Yes.
MR. REDDINGTON: Thank you.
MS. SPRAGUE: Nothing further.
THE COURT: Okay. All right. Thank you, ma'am. You sit down. Thank you.
BAILIFF: Watch your step, please.