Daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm
set out to hold By the Barnyard Gate accountable for
alleged crime against a
child, failure remove accused caregiver from premises
SACHSE,
Texas, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A
North Texas mother of a 4-year-old
boy is suing By the Barnyard Gate in Sachse, claiming a caregiver at the private
school sexually abused her son in January
2023. Emily Markley
immediately contacted By the Barnyard Gate after her son told her
he was inappropriately touched by Efrain
Jesus Bonilla, a caregiver at the school. A meeting to
review surveillance footage with the school's management confirmed
what the little boy said, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint states surveillance footage captured Bonilla
sitting next to the napping child, rubbing his hands together to
warm them up, and lifting a blanket covering the boy. The lawsuit
alleges Bonilla then
blocked the camera's view while he put his hands down the front of
the child's pants and underwear to touch the child's genitals. The
sexual abuse abruptly stopped once another caregiver entered the
classroom. Despite the visual evidence, By the Barnyard Gate
allowed Bonilla to continue caring for children at the school, per
the suit.
"I am heartbroken over the abuse that my child experienced at By
the Barnyard Gate and furious that the school allowed it to happen
to him," says Markley. "My son's innocence should have been
protected at this school. I am filing this lawsuit and speaking up
for what is right to shield my child and other children in our
community."
Following the abuse accusation, Markley reported the sexual
abuse to local police and the Texas Department of Family and
Protective Services when the private school neglected to do so. An
independent investigation conducted by the state agency
substantiated Markley's allegations of sexual abuse against her son
at the school and forced By the Barnyard Gate to terminate
Bonilla's employment, per the complaint.
Bonilla is currently facing criminal charges.
"Sexual abuse is a horrific crime with lifelong psychological
impacts to victims, including the young child in this case," says
Russell Button, a daycare injury
lawyer at The Button Law Firm who is representing Markley. "This
incident and the response of By the Barnyard Gate are deeply
disturbing. The school failed to prioritize the safety of our
client's child and other children numerous times."
By the Barnyard Gate markets itself as a private school focused
on safety, yet the facility received 20 citations from the state
for noncompliance with various childcare laws from August 2019 to January
2023, according to the suit. Nearly half of the violations
were for failure to properly supervise the children in its
care.
The case is Emily Markley,
Individually and as next friend of P.M., a minor child, vs.
Simpson-Foster, LLC d/b/a By the Barnyard Gate; and Whistle Stop
Station, LP d/b/a By the Barnyard Gate, Cause No. CC-24-04283-E
in Dallas 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