The lawsuit was filed this week in Collin County by Annalise Sisson on behalf of her 3-year-old daughter. Represented by The Button Law Firm, Sisson accuses the daycare center of acting negligently, recklessly endangering children, and failing to protect the kids entrusted to its care.
According to the complaint, on June 11, 2024, messages in a management group chat—which included the center's owners—reported that two different parents had witnessed caregivers using excessive force on their children in the 3-year-old classroom. The same conversation stated that three employees had left four children unattended outside on a splash pad that morning.
Rather than expressing concern for the children's safety, one of the owners responded with a joke: "Great job from our teachers! Time for a gold medal," the complaint states.
Knowing her 3-year-old daughter was in that classroom, Sisson reviewed the classroom surveillance footage. The complaint states that she saw her daughter approach a caregiver to say her pencil was too sharp. The caregiver aggressively yanked the toddler by the arm and forcefully shoved her into a chair, causing an injury. The caregiver then brought her face inches from the little girl's face, yelled at her, and smacked her on the leg, according to the lawsuit. The forceful mishandling left bruising on the toddler's back, the complaint states.
Sisson informed the owners of Kids 'R' Kids of Lawler Farm about what she witnessed on the surveillance footage. The lawsuit claims the owners did not fire the caregivers but instead allowed them to return to the same classroom overseeing the same children after issuing only a warning.
According to the lawsuit, the owners also chose not to report the suspected abuse to the state or notify the other children's parents—both required by Texas daycare laws. Instead, the owners told Sisson they had spoken to the caregiver and "assured that [the caregiver] will not repeat it." They then moved Sisson's daughter to a different classroom, according to the complaint.
The complaint further states that one of the center's owners later told Sisson he had deleted the video footage and instructed her to delete her copy as well.
"As a mother, I watched that video and was horrified by what I saw," Sisson says. "I reported it directly to the owners, and nothing happened, so I called the state."
Sisson reported the center to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. An independent DFPS investigation uncovered 15 videos recorded across multiple days that showed caregivers grabbing children by the arm with excessive force, hitting children, and aggressively pulling on children, according to the complaint.
Kids 'R' Kids of Lawler Farm received eight citations for violating child safety laws as a result of the investigation.
"This was not one mistake. Eight citations from one investigation point to systemic safety failures and a reckless disregard for the children this daycare was responsible for protecting," says Texas daycare injury lawyer Russell Button of The Button Law Firm, the firm representing Sisson.
"More families are coming forward and bringing the truth about what was happening behind closed doors into the light," Button adds. "Each new account helps reveal the scale of the mistreatment at this center. This cycle must be stopped, and Kids 'R' Kids of Lawler Farm must be held accountable for failing to protect these children."
The case is Annalise Sisson, as parent and next friend of L.G., a minor child vs. Vrise, Inc. d/b/a Kids R Kids of Lawler Farm, Cause No. 006-06097-2026 in Collin County. A copy of the complaint can be found 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 children and neglect their safety. 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
Share this article