Overview
- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford to delay Camp Mystic’s 2026 license until legislative investigations are finished and any safety fixes are identified.
- A federal lawsuit filed in Austin names six DSHS officials and alleges the camp lacked a required posted evacuation plan even as inspectors approved it two days before the disaster.
- Plaintiffs say Camp Mystic had an “anti‑evacuation” policy telling campers to stay in cabins, claiming violations of the children’s constitutional rights to life and bodily integrity.
- DSHS has not commented on the litigation; the current license is valid until March 6, and the agency says renewal applications will be accepted without a late fee through March 31.
- Camp Mystic is seeking to reopen at its separate Cypress Lake site and says it meets new state rules that require designated evacuation destinations and posted, illuminated routes.