Martinez mother Kasey Brooks, who made headlines in 2021 for attacking a daycare worker at a local Catholic preschool program, has been arrested again on a battery-related charge.
Columbia County authorities took her into custody on Wednesday and held her for the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office, where she was wanted for a July 20 incident involving a simple battery on Johnathan Trent Brooks.
Authorities say she tried to pick up her 5-year-old child from Johnathan Brooks, the cousin of her estranged husband. But it was her estranged husband’s day to have the child.
According to a warrant, she allegedly made “physical contact of an insulting and provoking nature” with the victim by pushing him, causing him to fall. The incident occurred after dark at a residence on Wycliffe Drive in Thomson.
“Kasey pushed him down and forcefully took the 5 year old child,” a sheriff’s report says. “When he fell, he hit his elbow where there was a wound that had recently had stitches removed.” The wound reopened.
The 31-year-old mother bragged last year on TikTok about completing her court-mandated anger management and conflict resolution classes. These classes were required following the 2021 incident at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Grovetown.
At the time, she contacted the media to share her side of the story, claiming that daycare worker June Barrow had abused her nonverbal 2-year-old son. Brooks was shown videos that she believed confirmed her concerns.
“I watched … (his teacher) spank him several times, hit him in the head, slap him with a book, pick him up by his ankles, hold him by his neck/head, and grab his face so hard that his cheeks were touching his mouth,” she said.
In response, Brooks confronted the teacher, punching and hitting Barrow repeatedly in the back of the head. A witness tried to intervene but was unsuccessful. Barrow called for help, and a second witness entered the room and pulled Brooks off the victim. However, Brooks jumped back on Barrow and continued to assault her while Barrow was lying on the floor. According to a sheriff’s report, Brooks also bit the victim’s left thumb/palm, leaving marks.
The witnesses managed to pull Brooks away from Barrow, who then retreated to a classroom bathroom and locked the door. Brooks left the building, remarking that she would “wait for her mugshot,” according to the report.
What followed was a whirlwind of legal proceedings, including the dismissal of the misdemeanor battery charge after Brooks completed a pretrial diversion program.
In the days after the attack, Barrow filed a lawsuit against Brooks to recover medical expenses and damages for alleged injuries. Last year, Brooks also filed a lawsuit against Barrow and the church for alleged harm to her son.
At the time, District Attorney Jared Williams said that while the daycare worker’s actions were unacceptable, seeking “vigilante justice” was also unacceptable.
“Neither action has any place in civilized society,” Williams said. “To avoid further prosecution, both parties are expected to conduct themselves with the decorum of model community members.”
Brooks shares her journey under the name “kaseymanning” on TikTok, where she talks about starting a nonprofit that sponsors low-income children at a boxing gym in Thomson. She also mentioned plans to bring anger management classes to children.
