A mother in Austin has filed a lawsuit against her child’s former daycare center following the discovery of alleged abuse captured on the center’s live surveillance video, according to the family.
A lawsuit has been filed against The Children’s Courtyard on West William Cannon Drive.
In July 2023, the child’s father used the center’s live surveillance video to check on the toddler during the workday, according to the lawsuit.
A caregiver was allegedly observed attempting to silence a toddler during naptime by covering the child with a blanket and repeatedly striking their face and head, as stated in the lawsuit. The child’s father promptly left his workplace and informed the daycare’s management about the incident.
According to the family’s attorney, Russell Button, the center failed to notify state or local police about the incident. According to him, it is something they are required to do.
“It was their responsibility as mandatory reporters to report this incident promptly to both the state and the police,” Button emphasized.
The family has decided to remove their child from the daycare center. Button expressed that the family is seeking accountability through the lawsuit.
“This is absolutely unacceptable,” Button expressed, urging a message to be sent to Children’s Courtyard.
According to him, they are also urging parents to ensure that their daycare facilities have both recorded and live cameras.
The citations involved instances of child abuse, the use of prohibited punishment, the failure to remove a caregiver who posed a risk to a child’s safety, and the failure to report the incident.
The online records of the daycare center revealed a total of 70 deficiencies reported between 2019 and 2024 as reported by KXAN News.
The Child Care Regulation (CCR) is a comprehensive program that oversees and ensures the compliance of childcare operations with state standards through thorough inspections and investigations.