Two families represented by The Button Law
Firm are suing Building Blocks Childcare Center and its owner for
negligence and breaking Texas
daycare laws
SEVEN
POINTS, Texas, May 13, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The parents of two of the three East Texas children found outside a bank are
seeking the truth from Building Blocks Childcare Center and its
owner Steven Stearman. The toddlers, whose ages range from 17
months to 20 months, were found outside the building by a good
Samaritan waiting in the bank's drive-thru. Parents Stephanie Morgan and Justin Brannon are
suing the daycare center and Stearman, claiming the center failed
to follow state laws regarding proper supervision and maintaining a
safe environment which allowed the children to exit the premises
unnoticed in December 2023.
The complaint also alleges that the three
toddlers showed other signs of further neglect: They all had smelly
diapers that were soaked through; had painful spurweed grass
stickers stuck to their shirts, arms, and legs; and none were
wearing shoes or pants despite the cold temperatures outside.
The Samaritan summoned a bank teller who helped her gather the
children and take them to Building Blocks Childcare Center, located
next to the bank. According to the suit, a daycare employee did
claim the children. A second employee acknowledged the children
were from the center, but went back into the building, leaving the
children with the good Samaritan and bank teller, who then
contacted local police for assistance. The lawsuit continues
that Stearman chose not to notify any of the neglected
children's parents following the incident, and when he did explain
to them what happened, he gave each set of parents a different
story—all versions were revealed to be lies based on surveillance
footage obtained from the nearby bank's security cameras.
"My heart was broken upon learning how little Building Blocks
Childcare Center actually cared for my child, and further
disrespected us by lying," says Stephanie
Morgan, one of the parents suing Building Blocks Childcare
Center and its owner. "We selected this daycare center based on its
claims of providing a nurturing environment and superior childcare,
which were clearly lies as well. I cannot thank the good Samaritan
and bank teller enough for saving my baby."
An investigation found the three children were in a class of
only six children, yet they were still able to exit the center
unnoticed for an extended period of time, according to the
complaint. Following the incident, Building Blocks Childcare Center
was cited by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Child-Care Licensing Division and the Texas Department of Family
and Protected Services for violating several childcare laws. These
violations included having an absent daycare director, not promptly
changing diapers, neglecting children, not reporting an incident
that placed children at risk, leaving the infant children
unsupervised, and using the infant classroom as a pass-through room
for the facility with an unmonitored exterior door. State records
showed Building Blocks Childcare Center had seven other citations
over the course of two-and-a-half years per the suit.
"The multiple red flags in this daycare negligence case are
shocking," says daycare injury attorney Russell Button of The Button Law Firm, who
represents both families in this case. "Half of a toddler classroom
disappeared and no one at Building Blocks Childcare Center even
knew these young children were gone. Our focus in this lawsuit is
to hold the center and Mr. Stearman accountable for completely
ignoring several childcare laws that unnecessarily endangered the
health and safety of innocent babies."
The case is Stephanie
Morgan, Individually and as next friends of M.O., a minor
child; Justin Brannon, Individually
and as next friend of S.B., a minor child, vs. Building Blocks
Childcare Center Inc.; and Steven
Stearman, Cause No. CV24-0249-3 in the District Court of
Henderson County, Texas. A copy of
the complaint can be accessed here.
About the Button Law Firm
The Button Law Firm
(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 daycare and
child-related injuries such as abuse and neglect cases, bottle
warmer burns, traumatic brain injuries, and catastrophic injuries.
With attorneys in Dallas,
Houston, and Midland, The Button Law Firm helps families
move forward across the Lone Star State.
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SOURCE The Button Law Firm