Represented by The Button Law Firm, mother of one of the victims seeks justice for "non-action and non-reporting"
GRAPEVINE, Texas, Oct. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A North Texas mother claims the disregard of childcare laws at two daycare centers led to the sexual abuse of her daughter. A new lawsuit filed in Tarrant County alleges Lionheart Children's Academy (Lionheart) not only ignored numerous employee complaints and multiple red flags, it also failed to report suspected child abuse, allowing a daycare teacher to sexually abuse her daughter for two years, starting when the girl was just a 2-year-old in a toddler classroom.
The lawsuit filed by Tiffany Young states that Lionheart and its regional director, director, and numerous caregivers failed to report serious concerns about Thaddaeus Davidson to the state, as required by law. Hired by Lionheart in 2020, Davidson was responsible for Young's daughter and other toddlers and was later convicted on multiple counts of indecency with a child.
Young's lawsuit details a "culture of non-action and non-reporting" at Lionheart, claiming the daycare center turned a blind eye to multiple internal reports of Davidson's inappropriate touching, violations of bathroom policies, and staff discomfort involving his interactions with the toddlers he was responsible for, including kissing little girls on the lips or having them sit on his lap or with their legs wrapped around him.
The complaint also cites an incident involving Davidson in March 2022. The parents of another 2-year-old girl reported to Lionheart's management team that Davidson tickled their daughter and another little girl in their "private area," yet Davidson remained on Lionheart's staff and no one reported the incident to the state.
One of the most alarming elements described in the lawsuit is a July 2022 email from a Lionheart teacher to the center's director. The teacher wrote that Davidson "touches little girls in class inappropriately, tickling them underneath their dresses" and that he was seen "rubbing up their thighs" during a movie. The email also referenced a known incident involving Davidson taking pictures of little girls in the bathroom at the center. Despite this email, and another written complaint from the same teacher days earlier, Lionheart kept Davidson on staff and failed to alert state and local authorities.
An investigation conducted by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and the Southlake Police Department uncovered abuse of several children, including Young's daughter, by Davidson at North Texas daycare centers. The state agency found Lionheart in violation of multiple childcare laws, including the failure to report suspected child abuse and failure to ensure the proper supervision of its caregivers and children at the facility. DFPS also confirmed that at least two separate caregivers at Lionheart witnessed Davidson's "questionable sexually oriented behavior" and did not report it.
"I trusted Lionheart to care for my baby, and instead they ignored every warning sign and allowed her to be harmed," says Tiffany Young. "Lionheart's failures have changed my life and my daughter's life forever."
Davidson was arrested and pled guilty to the second-degree felony of indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Lewisville New Hope Learning Center, now closed, is also named in the suit as Davidson's former employer. The complaint alleges that its leadership knew about Davidson's inappropriate interactions with children but failed to report those concerns to the state, and later provided positive references to Lionheart. This inaction enabled Davidson to secure another job at a daycare center, where he victimized Young's daughter, per the complaint.
"This lawsuit is about accountability and prevention," says The Button Law Firm daycare injury lawyer Russell Button, who represents Young. "Texas daycare laws exist for a reason: to stop abuse before it happens. When daycare centers like Lionheart and New Hope ignore reports of inappropriate behavior, they endanger every child in their care. The psychological trauma of sexual abuse can stay with victims for a lifetime, and that's why mandatory reporting of suspected abuse is the law."
The case is Tiffany Young, as parent and next friend of A.Y., a minor child, vs. Lionheart Children's Academy, Inc.; Lewisville New Hope Learning Center, Inc.; and Thaddaeus A. Davidson, Cause No. 236-371518-25 in the District Court of Tarrant 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 dedicated to protecting children. The firm represents kids in daycare and child injury cases to help families achieve life-changing results and justice against bad daycare centers, schools, and companies that abuse and neglect the safety of children. With offices in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, The Button Law Firm stands by families across the Lone Star State, working to hold negligent organizations accountable and make communities safer for every child.
SOURCE The Button Law Firm
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