'There is not a day that goes by': Teachers remember Rebekah Baptiste as DCS faces lawsuit

PHOENIX - A year after 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste died following severe abuse, a new wrongful death lawsuit is targeting the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

Her father and his girlfriend face murder charges, but the suit claims inaction by DCS contributed to her death.

This lawsuit was filed on behalf of Rebekah's biological mother – it's important to note that she did not have custody of Rebekah. A 2019 report to DCS says she exposed a child to substances during pregnancy.

Rebekah and her siblings were removed from the home while a custody battle played out. The children were returned to their father in 2022.

What they're saying:

In this whole ordeal, it was Rebekah's teachers who repeatedly called in to report concerns about her wellbeing.

"There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about Rebecca," said Penny Roubison, Rebekah Baptiste's third grade teacher. "I see somebody helping somebody else, and I see a smile that is genuine and eyes light up, and then I can feel Rebekah in those things."

One year after Rebekah's death, her former teachers at Empower College Prep in Phoenix say she is missed by everyone at the school.

"Rebekah's with all of us still," said Phenicia Swalley, Rebekah Baptiste's fourth grade teacher. "She's present in the classroom, she's kind of here in the room with us sometimes, so I have a little memorial in the room for her."

Baptiste's father, Richard Baptiste, and his girlfriend, Anicia Woods, are both facing first-degree murder charges in connection with her death.

Educators at Rebekah's school made 12 different reports to DCS regarding concerns over her safety. DCS was criticized for the inaction in a newly filed wrongful death lawsuit.

Dig deeper:

Meanwhile, Arizona Sen. Carine Werner says Rebekah's case was an integral part of DCS reform legislation passed at the Arizona Capitol this past session.

"One of the things that we've talked about multiple times is that 12 phone calls that came in to DCS from her school and what we learned is that the people that were making the phone calls did not have the answers, they could not answer DCS the questions when they asked because they hadn't seen it, the information had been passed along, and so we worked on that, and we changed the legislation, so the individual with direct knowledge has to be the one making the phone call," Sen. Werner said. "Her case was an integral part of the reform bills that we did with DCS this past session."

Sen. Werner also penned legislation regarding how repeated reports are handled within the agency. She says one of the changes is tied to the documented history of a child's case — and access to that history — when a call comes in to DCS.

"If there are four or more calls in less than 12 months on any individual child, it gets moved to someone with two or years of experience, somebody with advanced forensic interview training, so we're getting a fresh set of eyes on those cases," Sen. Werner said. "The call center will be able to open up one page that will show the last 90 days of calls into that particular child and their siblings, and we also changed the law so that the DCS employee can make a decision based upon that entire 90 days, not just the existing call."

Sen. Werner commends the educators at Empower College Prep for their involvement. Those educators were part of the committee formed during legislative talks – something they say they're grateful for.

"I believe that they were her best advocates. Her teachers were phenomenal and her strongest supporters," she said.

Those educators who love Rebekah are grateful for the chance to see these changes made in her honor.

"There were some things that took place, some positive things that came out of this in terms of systems and procedures. Obviously, we want to just continue to protect all kids, everybody deserves it, they're children," said Becky Jones, K-8 school director at Empower College Prep. "She really was just like an angel on Earth."

‘She was always positive’

Meanwhile, the women who tried so hard to help Rebekah say they're still navigating their grief with her in mind.

"Other days I cry and then other days I'm angry, and I'm at home with my family, and I'm like, 'Watch this' and I'm still all over the place and I know Rebekah would have things to say about that," Roubison said.

Swalley says, "Rebekah would not want us crying all the time and sad all the time, she would want us to focus. Her glass was always half full. Even through it all, she was always positive, and I'm trying to live that life as well."

FOX 10 did reach out to DCS regarding this new lawsuit, but it's their standard policy not to comment on pending litigation. Meanwhile, Sen. Werner says she is already working on legislation for the next session to protect children in group homes.