Second Fort Worth Mom Sues Compass Children's Academy Over Safety Concerns

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Jan 09, 2023, 08:29 ET

Lawsuit brought by The Button Law Firm alleges aggressive worker hurt toddler, failed to follow incident reporting laws

FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A second lawsuit has been filed against Fort Worth day care Compass Children's Academy over child safety and day care compliance concerns. Traci Ramirez, the working mom of a 2-year-old boy, claims she was remotely viewing activities at the day care via its surveillance cameras in September 2020 when she witnessed a worker aggressively yanking her toddler's arm and pushing him face first to the ground. Hurt, the little boy remained on the ground, afraid to move, until he was picked up by the caregiver and carried out of view from the camera, according to the suit.

The lawsuit reads that Ramirez asked to review additional surveillance footage from that day and noticed other children being inappropriately disciplined by caregivers. Despite the seriousness of the incident involving her son, she was never contacted by Compass Children's Academy, as required by Texas day care laws, nor did the facility contact emergency services or the state to report the incident and the little boy's injuries, according to the filing.

"I was at work while watching my son be hurt by the people who are supposed to take care of him, and I was helpless to stop it," says Ramirez. "As a working mom, you do everything you can to provide for your family and protect your children from incidents like this. This is just unacceptable."

On its website, Compass Children's Academy positions itself as a day care "dedicated to providing a safe learning environment… while providing parents with peace of mind at a reasonable cost." Yet an independent investigation into the toddler's injuries by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child-Care Licensing Division and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services cited the day care for violating multiple licensing rules, and immediately put a safety plan in place to ensure the facility took the necessary steps to correct and comply with the numerous violations.

The suit states that a history of citations against the facility included failing to properly supervise children in its care and failing to report an injury to a child that required medical treatment, along with employees using prohibited harsh and cruel punishment methods on the children. A separate lawsuit filed against Compass Children's Academy in September claims a 3-year-old girl's elbow was dislocated when a worker inappropriately disciplined the child.

"Compass Children's Academy's record with the state shows they do not prioritize the safety of the children in its care," says attorney Russell Button of The Button Law Firm, who represents the two families that filed claims against the day care center. "This little boy's injuries were preventable. Working parents like Ms. Ramirez should not have to worry about their children being hurt because the day care ignored safety laws."

The lawsuit is filed as Traci Ramirez, Individually and as next friend of C.M., a minor child, vs. West Fort Worth Day Care, LLC d/b/a Compass Children's Academy., Cause No. 017-339431-23 in Tarrant County, Texas.

About the Button Law Firm
The Button Law Firm (https://www.buttonlawfirm.com) is a Texas-based personal injury law firm that advocates for children and their families in meaningful litigation to make local communities safer. The firm focuses on day care and child-related injuries such as abuse and neglect cases, finger injuries, toy-related injuries, and catastrophic injuries. With attorneys in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, The Button Law Firm helps families across the Lone Star State.

SOURCE The Button Law Firm