3 families sue YMCA of Central Texas over alleged daycare abuse

Three families are suing the YMCA of Central Texas, alleging the organization negligently operated a daycare program that enabled the ongoing mistreatment of children ranging from 2 to 3 years old. 

The lawsuit details more than 12 incidents where a caregiver used “unsafe childcare methods,” including grabbing toddlers by the neck, choking them, and leaving them unsupervised at the facility. These methods were captured by surveillance footage at the YMCA daycare and discovered during a search for a child’s missing shoe in 2024.

The families are seeking over $1 million in damages for their children suffering, “serious physical, emotional, and mental injuries.” Russell Button, a lawyer representing the families, told MySA he believes that “the YMCA failed three innocent toddlers and their families.”

“The YMCA’s failure to maintain a safe and nurturing environment systemically put children at risk, and we refuse to let it continue,” Button said. “With this lawsuit, we are committed to making sure no child suffers at this daycare again.”

According to the complaint, in late February 2024, YMCA Senior Program Director Julie Lichtner called the Human Resources Director of Pflugerville ISD for assistance in watching past video footage to help find a child’s missing shoe. While on the phone with Lichtner, Pflugerville ISD’s HR Director “observed a YMCA employee subjecting kids to inappropriate and unsafe discipline methods.”

Video footage from February 21, 2024, show several children playing in a small makeshift enclosure while YMCA employee Geraline Browning is seen sitting on a chair and looking down at her cell phone, the complaint says. She then walks over to a child and “aggressively” grabs her right upper arm, and forcefully walks her to the middle of the enclosure where she makes her sit down on the floor in front of Browning.

Afterwards, the YMCA employee resumes her attention back to her cell phone while the child is seen “extremely upset over this interaction.” Frustrated by the child’s crying, surveillance footage captures Browning grabbing the child by the throat while choking and shaking as the child cries and struggles to break free, the complaint details.

The YMCA employee then releases the child and once again directs her attention back to her cell phone while the child continues to cry. This incident led to an investigation by the Pflugerville ISD Police Department. 

The child’s mother told detectives that her daughter would often come home with unexplained bruises and scratches, but when she would question
the YMCA, they could not explain how the child sustained the injuries. Pflugerville detectives continued watching more video footage revealing numerous other children were subject to the same or similar forms of punishment. 

By March 2024, Pflugerville ISD police detectives met with YMCA District Executive Director Carla Amacher and Adrienne Smith, the YMCA location director, to show them video footage of incidents involving at least three children. Both employees assisted in identifying the children seen in the footage.

However, the lawsuit claims the YMCA did not immediately report the incidents to the state or notify the parents of at least two of the three children involved, as required by law. The suit also says the YMCA kept the caregiver on staff. She was later arrested and charged with five counts of injury to a child with intent to cause bodily injury and is currently awaiting trial.

A spokesperson for the YMCA of Central Texas’ marketing department said that due to pending litigation, the organization’s response is limited, but shared the following statement with MySA:

Upon receiving the complaint we immediately suspended the employee for investigation, and subsequently terminated her after reviewing evidence of physical aggression directed at several of our students. We quickly alerted the parents, CPS and the local authorities. The well-being of our students is our utmost priority. We follow the state’s guidelines on safety and run extensive background checks before hiring employees. The YMCA of Central Texas is committed to ensuring the safest possible environment for our families.