A Cleveland day care worker pleaded guilty Monday to 27 charges of reckless endangerment for his role in a fire that closed the center in February.
James Carpenter Jr. now awaits a sentence on his conviction.
A 28th charge against Carpenter, accusing him of reckless burning, was dropped following his plea in front of Judge Andrew Freiberg on Monday, a Bradley County Criminal Court clerk said.
A trial in Carpenter's case was set to begin Tuesday but is now unnecessary following his guilty plea.
The fire caused 27 children, plus four staff members, to evacuate the child care center. No one was hurt in the blaze, the Chattanooga Times Free Press previously reported, and the children were taken to a nearby middle school to be picked up.
Reckless endangerment is a high-level misdemeanor in Tennessee and can be punished by up to a year in jail.
Carpenter could not be reached Monday, and defense attorney Ken Miller did not respond to requests for comment.
Fire investigators found open beer bottles at the center following the blaze, according to officials. Carpenter reportedly admitted to drinking multiple alcoholic beverages while at work that day, after investigators questioned him.
Carpenter was originally charged with 27 counts of child neglect, all of which a judge dismissed in March after a finding that Carpenter didn't meet that law's requirements because he did not have legal custody of the children at the center.
A prosecutor instead presented the case to a grand jury in Bradley County, which later indicted Carpenter on charges of reckless endangerment for the fire. April Romeo, the assistant district attorney assigned to Carpenter's case, did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
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Carpenter was arrested April 26 after the grand jury's decision, the Times Free Press reported. He posted a $5,000 bond at that time, a court clerk said Monday.
A hearing to determine Carpenter's sentence is set for April 4, according to a court clerk.
Staff writer Ben Benton contributed to this story.
Contact Ellen Gerst at egerst@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6319.