Woodford County Public Health Director Cassie Prather is urging stronger support systems for expecting mothers in the wake of the scandal involving University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling.
Snelling, 21, was arrested on August 30 after allegedly giving birth and hiding the baby in a closet. She faces charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant.
Speaking to WKYT on September 8, Prather said the case underscores systemic gaps. “We need to do a better job as a community in supporting those folks that don’t have access to direct resources and maybe feel shame or they’re not ready for a family,” she said.
Abortion in Kentucky is largely banned except when a mother’s life is at risk, a restriction in place since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Reflecting on Snelling’s case, Prather admitted she felt “a little bit of every emotion, much like a lot of other people that have known about this.”
She encouraged women in crisis pregnancies to turn to local health departments, where nurses can guide them through family planning, adoption resources, and other options. “We just lay out the facts, here are the options and let them ask us any questions and answer any questions they have in a safe, supportive environment,” Prather said. “There’s no judgment here.”
Authorities said they were called to Snelling’s home on August 27 and found an unresponsive infant inside a black trash bag. According to an arrest citation, Snelling admitted to giving birth and attempting to hide the evidence.
Snelling pleaded not guilty on September 2 and was released on a $100,000 bond. She is under home incarceration without an ankle monitor and has been ordered to live with her parents in Jefferson City, Tennessee, until trial. Her next court date is September 26.
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