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.
SOURCE The Button Law Firm
