Austin Mother Sues Daycare Center Over Toddler Abuse Caught on Live Feed

The Children’s Courtyard ignored Texas daycare laws aimed to protect young children, according to suit filed by The Button Law Firm 

AUSTIN, Texas, July 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Alexis Dominguez, the mother of a 2-year-old boy, is suing The Children’s Courtyard, located on West William Cannon Drive, claiming the Austin daycare center used prohibited and cruel punishment tactics on her toddler. The complaint states that in July 2023, the child’s father checked on the toddler during the workday via the daycare center’s live surveillance video and was shocked to see a caregiver attempting to keep the toddler quiet during naptime by smothering him with a blanket. The father also saw the caregiver forcefully slapping the child’s face and head repeatedly, per the lawsuit.

Upon witnessing the toddler being harmed, the child’s father immediately left work and reported what he saw to the center’s management. However, The Children’s Courtyard did not report the incident to the state or local police as required by law, per the complaint. The lawsuit also claims the daycare center suspended the accused employee for only one day, then kept her on staff, despite the clear visual evidence substantiating the parents’ abuse allegations.

“Clearly The Children’s Courtyard did not value my son’s safety or express concern for his well-being,” says Dominguez. “Anyone with basic common sense understands that smothering and hitting a child is completely unacceptable. Everything was on camera.”

Dominguez has since pulled her son out of The Children’s Courtyard.

An independent investigation into the incident with Dominguez’s son revealed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child-Care Licensing Division and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services substantiated the allegations, and cited The Children’s Courtyard for five violations, including physical abuse of a child, using prohibited punishment tactics, allowing a caregiver who posed a risk to a child’s safety to remain with children for additional time, and failing to report the incident. A deeper dive into the daycare center’s records revealed the daycare center received 56 separate safety violations from June 2019 through May 2024, 10 months following the abuse experienced by Dominguez’s son.

“The serious safety issues at The Children’s Courtyard are full of alarm bells and red flags,” says Dominguez’s daycare injury lawyer Russell Button of The Button Law Firm. “It is clear this daycare center does not prioritize child safety based on the treatment of our client’s child and this facility’s track record. Abuse accusations at any daycare center should be taken seriously, and centers should employ caregivers who comply with the clear procedures required by law to protect children under their watch.”

The case is Alexis Dominguez, Individually and as parent and next friend of L.D., a minor child, vs. W.O.S., Inc. d/b/a The Children’s Courtyard, Inc., Cause No. D-1-GN24-004072 in the 53rd Civil District Court of Travis County, Texas. A copy of the complaint can be accessed here.

About The Button Law Firm
The Button Law Firm (buttonlawfirm.com) is a Texas-based personal injury law firm that advocates for children and their families in meaningful litigation to make local communities safer. The firm focuses on daycare and child-related injuries such as abuse and neglect cases, bottle warmer burns, traumatic brain injuries, and catastrophic injuries. With attorneys in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, The Button Law Firm helps families move forward across the Lone Star State.

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SOURCE The Button Law Firm