PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - When parents place their children in daycare, they expect a safe, nurturing, and educational environment. For LeeAnn Huber, Erin Tapiero, and Michelle Duffy, this trust was shattered when their children endured physical, emotional, and mental harm at the YMCA in Pflugerville, Texas.
Represented by the daycare and child injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm, these parents are demanding justice and accountability for the gross negligence and alarming failures that endangered their children.
To read the full complaint, click here.
The Shocking Disregard for Child Safety at the YMCA
The YMCA claims in its mission to provide a safe and nurturing environment promoting healthy character development for children. Its Family Handbook outlines a commitment to safety and responsive care. Unfortunately, the reality for the children in this case paints a starkly different picture.
In February 2024, a search for a missing shoe unearthed shocking evidence of regular and ongoing misconduct at the YMCA. Video footage revealed an employee subjecting young children to prohibited punishments, including choking, shaking, and rough handling, on at least 12 occasions against at least five different children. These actions were not isolated incidents but part of a pattern of negligence.
Video Footage Captures Daycare Negligence
Surveillance footage captured at least a dozen incidents between January and February 2024, including:
- Physical Punishment: The caregiver was seen choking a two-year-old, aggressively yanking a child by the arm, and roughly grabbing children by the neck and collarbone.
- Neglect: The caregiver frequently ignored crying children, failed to provide comfort, and was distracted by the use of a personal cell phone while in charge of children.
- Unsafe conditions: The daycare was regularly out of ratio, leaving too many children under the supervision of too few caregivers.
Despite these alarming behaviors, the YMCA failed to take immediate action. The caregiver involved was initially placed on suspension rather than being terminated, and parents were not provided incident reports until state licensing authorities issued citations.
The Deep-Rooted Issues at the YMCA
The YMCA’s failures extend beyond one employee. Investigations by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services revealed systemic issues, including inadequate staff training, poor supervision, and repeated violations of state childcare standards.
The facility received 23 citations for violations, including:
- Failure to ensure children were not abused, neglected, or exploited.
- Use of harsh and prohibited punishments, such as grabbing, pulling, shaking, choking, and the use of harsh and cruel language.
- Failure to report injuries and incidents to parents and authorities.
- Neglecting proper caregiver-to-child ratios.
- Failing to intervene and comfort a child.
Statements from the YMCA employees further highlight a troubling culture. Caregivers reported concerns about inadequate training, frequent improper child-to-caregiver ratios, and unaddressed safety hazards.
How BLF Is Fighting for Justice for the Central Texas Families
As the criminal justice system pursues charges against the caregiver, The Button Law Firm has filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of the affected families. This case seeks not only justice for the children involved, but also systemic change to ensure no other child suffers under similar circumstances.
“Nothing about what happened at the YMCA or how the organization operated this daycare center is acceptable. Innocent toddlers were severely mistreated and unsafely disciplined on multiple occasions,” says Russell Button, daycare and child injury lawyer of The Button Law Firm who represents all three families against the YMCA. “This ongoing trauma and mistreatment of toddlers could have been avoided had the YMCA managed its daycare properly and according to the law. We are committed to holding the YMCA accountable for allowing such horrific treatment and operating with unsafe practices, and we are working to ensure it never happens again.”
The Button Law Firm Holds Daycares Accountable
The Button Law Firm remains committed to representing kids in daycare and child injury cases, to help them get life-changing results and justice against bad daycares, schools, and companies that abuse and neglect the safety of children. If you suspect negligence or abuse at your child’s daycare, don’t wait. Reach out to The Button Law Firm.
Get a free case evaluation by calling us at 214-699-4409, emailing us at [email protected], or filling out a contact form.
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