A Liberty Township resident has been charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent after the Porter County Juvenile Probation Department said that she failed to ensure the school attendance of two children under her care.

Amy Lynn Loney, 31, of 77 Wilson Court, was booked into the Porter County Jail on Thursday, the Porter County Sheriff’s Police said.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed by Assistant Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Deana Harris, in November 2009 she received two referrals from Liberty Elementary School, one for a second grader with 5.5 absences and 18 tardies over 61 enrolled days, the other for a third grader with 4.5 absences and 18 tardies over 61 days. Both were placed in the Project Attend program. “Although their attendance improved briefly after they were placed into the Project Attend program, it began to decline again after February 2010,” Harris stated in her affidavit.

Over the period of three school years, one of the children under Loney’s care had a total of 34 unexcused absences and 75 tardies, Harris said; the other, 28 unexcused absences and 72 tardies.

“During this time school representatives and members of the Project Attend team have sent numerous letters and attempted to meet” with Loney, Harris stated. “Amy Loney has not been receptive or compliant (with) any of these attempts.”

When Loney met with school officials in February 2011—to discuss one of the children’s “refusal to do her homework and refusal to go to school”—Loney “was not receptive to the idea of walking (the child) to the bus stop in the morning in order to assure (that the child) is on time,” Harris stated.

Neglect of a dependent is a Class D felony punishable by a term of six months to three years.

Posted 6/4/2012