CBS News Texas Covers The Button Law Firm’s Fort Worth “Child Fight Club” Lawsuit
CBS News Texas is reporting on a lawsuit filed by The Button Law Firm on behalf of the Harris family after surveillance footage showed a caregiver physically handling their 4-year-old son and encouraging another child to fight him inside a Fort Worth daycare classroom.
Texas daycare injury lawyer Russell Button spoke with CBS News Texas about what the video revealed, the difficulty the family faced getting answers, and why they decided to come forward publicly.
“This family had the courage to stand up, to make sure that this daycare gets held accountable, and make sure other families know what happened here,” Russell Button said.
Surveillance Footage Showed a 4-Year-Old Trying to Get Away
CBS News Texas aired surveillance footage from Arka Montessori Academy of Risinger showing the Harris family’s 4-year-old son inside the classroom.
The video shows the teacher grab the boy, shake him, and later pull him toward another child as he repeatedly tried to get away.
The Harris family’s lawsuit also details how the teacher held onto the 4-year-old while encouraging the other child to hit and kick him.
Russell Button described the scene to CBS News Texas:
“She created a child fight club that had our little child there, picked him up, put him down, held him, encouraged another kid to hit him, kick him. And then, ultimately, tossed him down like a human ragdoll.”
The teacher eventually pulled the 4-year-old’s leg out from underneath him while still holding onto him, causing him to fall hard to the floor.
Another caregiver was present during the confrontation but failed to properly intervene and protect the child.
The Harris family later found bruising on their son’s arm, and his mother immediately knew something was wrong when she saw his face and heard him crying at pickup.
The Harris Family Kept Pushing for Answers
The Harris family did not initially receive an explanation that reflected what the surveillance footage ultimately showed.
Russell Button told CBS News Texas that the family was given explanations that their son had fallen or gotten into a fight with another child.
When the family asked to see the surveillance footage to understand what actually happened, they were initially denied access and had to continue to push for clearer answers.
“And they kept getting the runaround,” Russell Button said.
The family’s persistence ultimately helped uncover a video showing something far more serious than a normal disagreement between two young children.
The footage showed an adult becoming physically involved, restraining the 4-year-old, and encouraging another child to continue the confrontation.
CBS News Texas Discusses the Daycare’s State History
CBS News Texas also reviewed the daycare’s publicly available state inspection history.
The station reported that Texas regulators had previously identified multiple deficiencies at Arka Montessori since the daycare opened.
State records also documented concerns involving the caregiver named in the lawsuit, including a pattern of yelling at children when frustrated.
Those records provide important context for the Harris family’s case because this was not the first time state investigators had examined safety concerns at the daycare.
Parents can review inspection and compliance records for Texas daycares through the Texas Health and Human Services. Looking at a daycare’s history can help families identify previous concerns involving supervision, caregiver conduct, training, or other child safety requirements before enrolling their child.
The Lawsuit Focuses on Failures to Train, Supervise, and Intervene
The Button Law Firm filed the lawsuit against Arka Montessori, seeking accountability for failures that went beyond the actions of a single caregiver.
The case raises questions about whether the daycare properly trained and supervised its employees, whether warning signs were addressed, and why another caregiver failed to step in while watching the Harris family’s son being harmed.
CBS News Texas attempted to get answers directly from the daycare. The station reported that a reporter went inside the facility but was turned away, and calls and emails requesting comment were not returned before the report aired.
For the Harris family, speaking publicly is about making sure what happened to their son does not remain hidden.
The Harris Family Wants Other Parents to Know What Happened
Coming forward after a child is harmed can be difficult, especially when a family is still dealing with the impact of what happened.
But the Harris family decided other parents needed to know.
Their son was only 4 years old when the adults responsible for keeping him safe failed to protect him. By pursuing this lawsuit and sharing their experience, the family is seeking accountability while also bringing attention to failures that could put other children at risk.
At The Button Law Firm, we represent kids in daycare and child injury cases 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 harmed at daycare or you have concerns about how a daycare responded after something happened to your child, call 214-699-4409, email intake@buttonlawfirm.com, or fill out our contact form to share your story or experience with our team.
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