Families of Camp Mystic victims sue Texas officials, claim failure to enforce safety rules

Parents of nine campers and counselors who died in last summer’s deadly Camp Mystic flooding have filed a federal lawsuit accusing Texas health officials of approving the camp’s license despite safety violations required under state law. The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court, claims the agency licensed Camp Mystic despite the camp’s failure to maintain a written emergency response plan that includes plans to evacuate every occupied building, a requirement under Texas law for youth camps. Instead, according to the complaint, the camp’s emergency instructions directed campers to remain inside cabins unless told to evacuate.