Prosper, Texas — A new lawsuit filed in Collin County on Thursday claims that a 2-year-old child fell into a 6-to-7-foot-deep sewer packed with dirty water at a Prosper daycare and became trapped for over an hour.
The incident apparently took place on November 1 at Children’s Lighthouse in Prosper, where the girl was playing on the childcare playground. Levi McCathern and Ty Sheaks, attorneys for the girl’s parents, claim the toddler fell into the sewer after encountering its “unsecured” cover.
“This kid may have been submerged up to her neck,” McCathern remarked. “Luckily, it wasn’t underwater, or we’d be dealing with a fatality here.”
“We’re talking…a big watery, swampy mess of fecal matter and all other kinds of things,” she explained.
A daycare spokesman told WFAA that they were unaware of the presence of feces in the water.
According to Sheaks, the drain cover—labeled with a warning that read, “Danger, do not enter, fatal poison gas”—was either flipped over or replaced after the child fell, locking her underground.
The lawsuit claims that after discovering the youngster was missing, daycare staff did not immediately call 911 or the police. According to the lawsuit, she was discovered about an hour later, wrapped in dirt and in anguish.
“She was bluish and pallid. “Peeing out dirty water,” the suit alleges.
McCathern slammed the daycare’s handling of the situation, telling WFAA, “What they did prior to the incident was horrible. “What they did following the incident is unforgivable.”
McCathern stated that the girl’s parents are seeking accountability and answers, stating that the daycare has refused to provide them with CCTV footage from the incident.
“Have the dignity to give the parents video of the child falling into the hole,” according to McCathern.
“With regard to the video, Children’s Lighthouse of Prosper is completely collaborating with all appropriate authorities and working with its insurance team to ensure that everything is handled properly. As part of this ongoing process, the Prosper school adheres to procedural requirements, which include handling specific information through the right channels.”
“At Children’s Lighthouse of Prosper, every child’s safety has been and will always be our top priority. We wholeheartedly understand the concern surrounding this previous event, and we want to reassure our community that the situation that occurred on Friday, November 1st was an isolated incident that we’ve all taken very seriously. Steps were taken to prevent this from happening again, including the immediate installation of a fence around the area.
The event involves a toddler falling into a drain hole. Outside of our knowledge, the cover of the drain hole was left unsecured by a third-party company doing winterization for the splash pad. Once staff realized that the child was unaccounted for, she was found unharmed. Very shortly after she was found, her parents picked her up. She was then taken by her parents for medical attention and was confirmed unharmed.
In addition, the teacher that was responsible for the child’s supervision was terminated that same day. After the incident, we immediately notified state licensing authorities. We’ve also conducted a thorough review of our safety protocols and have cooperated with all local authorities.
Our teachers and staff care deeply for each child under our care, and we are committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment. All Children’s Lighthouse Early Learning Schools are independently owned and operated.
-Children’s Lighthouse of Prosper Management Team”
The daycare sent an amended statement Friday:
At Children’s Lighthouse of Prosper, every child’s safety has been and will always be our top priority. We wholeheartedly understand the concern surrounding this previous event, and we want to reassure our community that the situation that occurred on Friday, November 1st was an isolated incident that we’ve all taken very seriously.
The teacher who was responsible for the child’s supervision was terminated that day for not following the strict safety protocols we have in place.
Outside of our knowledge, the area that has always been secured was left unsecured by a third-party company doing winterization for the splash pad. To add additional safety, a fence was quickly installed around the area.
Once staff realized that the child was unaccounted for, she was found unharmed. Quickly after she was found, the child’s parents arrived and took her to seek medical attention on their own rather than at the school. It was then reported back that she was safe and unharmed.
We immediately notified state licensing authorities and have been fully cooperating with the Prosper Police Department since the event occurred, including sharing all video surveillance.
Our teachers and staff care deeply for each child at our school. We pride ourselves on keeping all our children safe and are relieved that this child was uninjured.
All Children’s Lighthouse Early Learning Schools are independently owned and operated.
-Children’s Lighthouse of Prosper Management Team
Both the Prosper Police Department and the Department of Family and Protective Services have confirmed to WFAA that they are investigating the incident.
