Families of nine sue Texas health officials, say camp lacked evacuation plan

Families of nine campers and counselors filed a federal lawsuit on Monday in U.S. District Court in Austin, accusing the Texas Department of State Health Services and six agency officials of licensing Camp Mystic even though, the complaint says, the camp had no evacuation plan required under state rules. The plaintiffs say that regulatory failures deprived the victims of their constitutional rights to “life and bodily integrity” and contributed to the deaths following flash flooding tied to early July storms.

The complaint names DSHS and six officials, including Commissioner Jennifer Shuford and inspector Maricela Torres Zamarripa, and seeks general and compensatory damages and “all other relief that is equitable,” according to filings and reporting. Plaintiffs’ attorney Paul Yetter said in a statement, “DSHS licensed a camp without it having a required evacuation plan.” He added, “We filed this lawsuit to expose another failure that led to these tragic deaths, and to keep other children who attend Texas camps safe in the future.”

The suit alleges that DSHS routinely evaluated youth camps but “systematically ignored required safety rules” and failed to verify that written emergency plans included evacuation procedures that Texas regulations require and that must be posted in each cabin. According to the complaint, Camp Mystic’s written emergency instructions directed campers and counselors to remain in cabins during flooding, a practice plaintiffs say is inconsistent with the statute and with safe evacuation protocols. The suit further contends that the agency’s inspector reported the camp had a written disaster plan about a year before the flood, visited for an annual inspection two days before the July flash flooding, and issued a report two days after the incident stating again that required emergency plans existed and citing no violation.

Camp Mystic is a Christian girls’ camp on the edge of the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country near Hunt and Kerrville. NBC News described the storms as “near 100-year flash flooding” that rushed through valleys and tributaries feeding the Guadalupe River, inundating low-lying camp areas. Local reporting notes the camp is nearly 100 years old and has long been a multi-generational destination; KENS reported the camp has announced plans to reopen this summer. Separately, KENS said families previously sued Camp Mystic itself accusing the camp of negligence and reckless disregard.

A spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services said the agency does not comment on pending litigation. WKYC reported that a lawyer for Camp Mystic, which is not named as a party in this suit, could not immediately be reached. The complaint cites specific inspections and agency reports; plaintiffs have alleged those records show DSHS inspectors repeatedly certified the camp despite the alleged absence of a required evacuation component.

The suit represents nine victims, NBC’s reporting specifies seven campers and two teen counselors, but one NBC passage also referenced 27 deaths in connection with the flooding, a discrepancy that local officials and coroner figures have not been reconciled in the complaint. The filing and coverage have prompted public reaction online: a Click2Houston Facebook post about the lawsuit drew roughly 1,200 reactions, 441 comments and 57 shares as of the excerpted capture.

Plaintiffs say their case is aimed at holding regulators to account and forcing changes in enforcement so other youth camps statewide do not face similar risks. The complaint will likely prompt records requests for inspection reports, and it raises broader questions about oversight, equity and the state’s duty to enforce safety rules for programs that serve children from diverse communities across Texas.