Parents who lost their five daughters in the July 4 flood in Central Texas were added to the lawsuit against Camp Mystic on Thursday, claiming the girls summer camp committed negligence and should be held accountable.
The amended complaint filed yesterday in Travis County claims the camp’s negligence resulted in the deaths of Ellen Getten, 9, Linnie McCown, 8, Abby Pohl, 8, Margaret Sheedy, 8, Mary Stevens, 8, and Greta Toranzo, 10.
Douglas and Jennifer Getten, whose 9-year-old daughter Ellen Elizabeth Getten died in the flood, filed their lawsuit earlier this week, which other parents representing five daughters who were killed in the flood have now joined. Douglas Getten is a partner at Baker Botts.
The 43-page complaint is seeking $1 million in damages and demands a jury trial.
“Like all young, defenseless, little girls, these children expected to be protected while at camp. They expected to be kept safe. They, and their parents, expected they would be returned home after the summer session in the same physical condition as when they left. The last thing that any parent expects is to send their child to camp, only to have to arrange a funeral rather than bring home their little girl. Yet, that is what happened to these girls’ parents,” the lawsuit reads. “This case is being brought to seek justice, to demand accountability, and raise awareness regarding Camp Mystic and the Defendants’ actions and failures in the hopes that no parent has to ever suffer as these parents have, and that no child like Ellen, Linnie, Abby, Margaret, Mary or Greta, has to ever die a horrific, traumatic, and preventable death at a camp again.”
The Gettens are represented by Kurt Arnold, J. Kyle Findley, Kala F. Sellers and John G. Grinnan of Arnold & Itkin.
Other separate lawsuits were filed on Monday against Camp Mystic in Travis County district court.
In a 32-page lawsuit filed Monday afternoon, the families of seven children who died in the flood brought claims for negligence, negligence per se, negligent undertaking, premises liability, gross negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and wrongful death, and survival actions. The families are seeking more than $1 million in damages, including exemplary damages, and have demanded a jury trial.
The plaintiffs in that suit are Warren and Patricia Bellows, parents of Anna Margaret Bellows; Blake and Caitlin Bonner, parents of Lila Bonner; Matthew and Wendie Childress, parents of Chloe Childress; Ryan and Elizabeth Dewitt, parents of Molly Dewitt; John and Andrea Ferruzzo, parents of Katherine Ferruzzo; Ben and Natalie Landry, parents of Lainey Landry; and Lindsey McCrory, mother of Blakely McCrory.
Wendie Childress is a former partner at Yetter Coleman, the Houston litigation boutique that is representing those plaintiffs.
Separately, the family of Eloise “Lulu” Peck, who was 8 years old when she died, filed a separate 31-page lawsuit against Camp Mystic, alleging negligence, gross negligence and premises liability. The lawsuit seeks more than $1 million in damages and demands a jury trial.
Her parents, Timothy Peck and Melissa Peck, are represented by Randy R. Howry and Sean E. Breen of Howry Breen & Herman, Jarom Tefteller of Tefteller Law and Ron Armstrong II of The Armstrong Firm.
Another lawsuit was filed Monday against the summer camp by the Lanier Law Firm on behalf of six families.
The plaintiffs in the suit are Cole and Allison Naylor, parents of Virginia Wynne Naylor; Douglas and Carrie Hanna, parents of Hadley Rebecca Hanna; Lars and Lacey Hollis, parents of Virginia Larins Hollis; Davin and Anne Lindsey Hunt, parents of Jane Marie Hunt; Brandt and Lisa Dillon, parents of Lucy Lee Dillon; and J. Wade and Malorie Lytal, parents of Kellyanne Elizabeth Lytal.
Plaintiff lawyer Mikal Watts told The Texas Lawbook last month that he would be representing the camp and the family pro bono against any lawsuits. On Tuesday, Watts said that there were “no surprises” in the lawsuits filed Monday and that he’s expecting more will follow.
“These are all filed by excellent lawyers whom I respect,” he said. “These are some of the finest lawyers in the United States, have been my friends for decades, and we will work together in an amicable fashion to get these cases ready for trial.”
He said in his view the fatal July 4 flood is “a political failure” and not the fault of his client, Camp Mystic.
Michelle Casady contributed to this report.