FRISCO, Texas - A second set of Frisco parents has filed a lawsuit against Kids ‘R’ Kids of Lawler Farm after a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services investigation allegedly uncovered multiple instances of caregivers mistreating children in the same 3-year-old classroom.
The new lawsuit, filed by The Button Law Firm on behalf of parents Alexus Benavidez and Rauf Scott, claims surveillance cameras captured two caregivers using prohibited punishment tactics and harming their 3-year-old son at the daycare center. According to the complaint, the footage showed caregivers harming Benavidez and Scott’s son and other children in the classroom on multiple occasions in June 2024.
The filing comes after the daycare and child injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm filed another lawsuit against Kids ‘R’ Kids of Lawler Farm in March on behalf of a mother who claims her 3-year-old son was shoved, yanked, and struck by caregivers in the same classroom.
To read the full complaint, click here.
A Second Daycare Lawsuit Stemming From the Same DFPS Investigation
According to the lawsuit, both cases stem from a July 2024 DFPS investigation that, as the complaint describes, exposed a pattern of disregard for Texas daycare minimum standards at Kids ‘R’ Kids of Lawler Farm.
That investigation allegedly revealed more than isolated misconduct. Based on the complaint, the investigation uncovered concerns involving the mistreatment of children, failure to properly report incidents to the state, failure to inform parents, and the daycare center’s continued failure to follow safety requirements meant to protect children in its care.
For these parents, the lawsuit claims the truth about what happened to their son only came out after surveillance footage showed what caregivers had done inside the classroom.
Surveillance Footage Allegedly Captured a Toddler Being Yanked and Shoved
The complaint states that surveillance footage captured caregivers inappropriately yanking Benavidez and Scott’s 3-year-old son by his arms and forcefully shoving him into a chair at a table. According to the lawsuit, the shove caused the toddler to strike his leg and cut it.
The lawsuit claims that after the child began crying, a caregiver ignored him. The toddler then limped away to get a paper towel for his bleeding leg.
The complaint also alleges that before this incident, the child had come home from the daycare center with unexplained injuries, including a busted lip where his teeth had bitten through the inside of his lip. According to the lawsuit, when his parents raised concerns about the injuries, they were dismissed and reassured that it was normal kid stuff, rather than being given a clear explanation of what happened.
Lawsuit Claims Frisco Daycare Owner Tried to Have Video Deleted
The lawsuit alleges that the owner of Kids ‘R’ Kids of Lawler Farm knew the caregivers’ actions violated Texas childcare laws because he observed the conduct on the center’s surveillance footage.
Per the complaint, the daycare center owner attempted to cover up the wrongdoing by deleting the daycare’s footage of the incidents and then instructed a management staff member to also delete any footage saved and not to notify parents or report the incidents to the state, as required by Texas law.
The lawsuit states that the truth was revealed when the daycare worker ultimately defied her boss’s instructions and reported the incidents to the state.
Complaint Describes a Chaotic and Unsafe Daycare Environment
The new lawsuit also claims the issues at Kids ‘R’ Kids of Lawler Farm went beyond the mistreatment of Benavidez and Scott’s son and the other children in the class.
WhatsApp text messages between the daycare owners and management staff on the day of the incidents involving Benavidez and Scott’s 3-year-old son also revealed that caregivers left four children from another classroom unsupervised outside on a splash pad.
When notified about the incident, the lawsuit claims the daycare center’s owner responded by messaging staff in a way that failed to reflect the seriousness of what happened, writing: “Great job from our teachers! Time for a gold medal.”
In another incident described in the complaint, a caregiver allegedly forcefully handled and hit children in frustration before returning from a break smelling of marijuana.
Daycare Was Placed on a Safety Plan, But Continued Breaking Childcare Laws
While DFPS was investigating these incidents, Kids ‘R’ Kids of Lawler Farm was placed on a safety plan. According to the lawsuit, the safety plan was intended to add protections for children at the center while the investigation was underway.
However, the complaint states that during a follow-up compliance inspection, DFPS found the daycare center continued to ignore the additional safety parameters.
“There is a blatant pattern of disregard for child safety at Kids R Kids of Lawler Farm, and it needs to stop,” says Texas daycare injury lawyer Russell Button of The Button Law Firm. “It is completely unacceptable for a daycare center to enable the mistreatment of a toddler by trying to sweep it under the rug. We are determined to hold Kids R Kids of Lawler Farm accountable for its multiple safety failures.”
Talk to a Texas Daycare Injury Lawyer
Parents trust daycare centers to provide safe, supervised care for their children. When a daycare breaks that trust, ignores childcare laws, or tries to hide what happened, families deserve answers.
The Button Law Firm represents kids in daycare injury and child injury cases across Texas to help them get life-changing results and justice against bad daycares, schools, and companies that abuse and neglect the safety of children.
If your child was hurt at daycare, or if you have concerns about how a daycare handled an incident involving your child, our team can help you understand your options and the next steps available to your family.
Call us at 214-699-4409, email us at intake@buttonlawfirm.com, or fill out a contact form for a free case evaluation.
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