What Is the Camp Mystic Lawsuit?
The Camp Mystic lawsuit is a group of five wrongful death and survival suits that families filed against Camp Mystic, its affiliated companies, and members of the Eastland family after the July 4, 2025 flood killed 25 campers and two counselors at the girls' summer camp near Hunt, Texas. It is not a class action and not a multidistrict litigation, because each family sues for its own loss.
Families filed the first Camp Mystic lawsuits in Travis County District Court on November 10, 2025, and the five suits together involve 22 sets of plaintiffs, according to court records reported by Houston Public Media. The lead multi-family petition, Bellows et al. v. Camp Mystic, LLC et al., was filed by seven sets of parents and names the camp entities and several members of the Eastland family, including the estate of camp director Richard "Dick" Eastland, who also died in the flood.
Most of the cases now sit in federal court after the camp's owners removed them in July 2026, and Camp Mystic's Chapter 11 bankruptcy has reshaped the timing of all of them, as the status section below explains.
“These young girls died because a for-profit camp put profit over safety. The Camp chose to house young girls in cabins sitting in flood-prone areas, despite the risk, to avoid the cost of relocating the cabins.”
Source: Original Petition, Bellows et al. v. Camp Mystic, LLC et al., District Court of Travis County, Texas (filed November 10, 2025), Introduction
Why Was the Camp Mystic Lawsuit Filed?
The Camp Mystic lawsuit was filed because families allege the camp kept girls in flood-prone cabins instead of evacuating them after a life-threatening flash flood warning in the early hours of July 4, 2025.
The Bellows petition says the National Weather Service issued a warning of "life threatening flash flooding" at 1:14 a.m. and that camp leadership received it. The families allege the camp spent more than an hour moving equipment to higher ground, did not evacuate campers and counselors until counselors demanded it, and ordered girls in the Bubble Inn and Twins cabins to stay put even though other campers had been moved to higher ground about 300 feet away.
The families also allege the cabins were never safe. The petition says several cabins sat in a FEMA-designated flood zone, that the camp asked in 2013 to have most of them removed from FEMA's floodplain maps, and that FEMA approved most of those requests, including for Bubble Inn and Twins. The families argue the map change saved the owners money on insurance and construction rules without making the cabins any safer.
What Harms Does the Camp Mystic Lawsuit Allege?
The Camp Mystic lawsuit alleges five distinct harms, each pleaded as a separate legal claim: wrongful death, negligence, gross negligence, premises liability, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The allegations come from the families' petitions and remain unproven.
Wrongful Death and Survival Claims
A wrongful death claim is a civil action that lets surviving family members seek money for a death caused by someone else's fault, and a survival claim lets the person's estate seek damages for what the person suffered before dying.
The Bellows petition brings its claims under the Texas Wrongful Death Act and the Texas survival statute on behalf of seven sets of parents and the estates of seven girls. The damages it lists include funeral expenses, mental anguish, counseling costs, loss of companionship, and lost earning capacity, plus exemplary damages. The Steward suit likewise seeks wrongful death and survival damages.
Negligence
Negligence is a legal claim that someone failed to use reasonable care and that the failure caused harm.
The Bellows petition pleads three negligence theories: ordinary negligence, negligence per se, and negligent undertaking. The negligence per se count rests on state youth camp rules that require written evacuation plans, and the families allege the camp had no adequate plan and did not train staff to carry one out. The negligent undertaking count alleges the camp took on a duty to keep campers safe and then performed it poorly.
Gross Negligence
Gross negligence is a legal claim that a defendant knew of an extreme risk and consciously disregarded it, which under Texas law can support punitive damages called exemplary damages.
Gross negligence is the claim that opens the door to exemplary damages in these suits. The families argue the owners knew for decades that the river site floods and still housed young children in cabins near the water. The camp has not conceded that point in the coverage reviewed, and no court has ruled on it.
Premises Liability
Premises liability is a legal claim that a property owner or operator failed to make its property reasonably safe, or failed to warn visitors of a danger.
The premises liability count targets the camp as the operator of the grounds, alleging it let campers sleep in buildings the families describe as unsafe in a flood. The families also allege the camp told campers and counselors that the cabins sat in "high, safe locations," which they say hid the danger rather than warning of it.
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
Intentional infliction of emotional distress is a legal claim that a defendant acted in an extreme and outrageous way that caused severe emotional suffering, and Texas courts treat it as a claim of last resort.
The Bellows petition pleads this claim separately from the others and says no other cause of action would fully remedy the parents' own emotional suffering. A separate suit by the Getten family, filed the same day, alleges that camp officials sent messages suggesting children were unaccounted for even after learning some had died. The camp has not been shown to have admitted either allegation.
What Is the Current Status of the Camp Mystic Lawsuit?
The current status of the Camp Mystic lawsuit is a bankruptcy pause that is set to end on November 9, 2026, with the five wrongful death cases still waiting on a federal judge to decide whether they return to Travis County state court.
Camp Mystic Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Camp Mystic, LLC and its affiliate Natural Fountains Properties, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection on June 24, 2026, which automatically paused the wrongful death suits against them. On October 21, 2026, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez rejected the Eastland family's governance proposal because the Eastland-controlled boards would still decide how to defend and settle the flood suits, and he gave the companies until October 28 to propose acceptable independent fiduciaries or face a Chapter 11 trustee.
| Court | U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Texas (Houston) |
| Judge | Hon. Christopher M. Lopez |
| Filed | June 24, 2026 |
| Debtors | Camp Mystic, LLC and Natural Fountains Properties, Inc. |
| Wrongful death suits resume | November 9, 2026, with no money payable from the estates or insurance without court permission |
| Governance plan | Rejected October 21, 2026; revisions due October 28; hearing set for November 3, 2026 |
| Trustee motions | Filed by the creditors' committee (13 families) and the U.S. Trustee; held in abeyance |
| Reorganization plan | Filed September 25, 2026; proposes auctioning the camp's 749 acres and other assets |
| Liability insurers | Granite State Insurance (primary) and National Union Fire Insurance ($5 million excess), both AIG units |
Federal Removal and Remand Fight
Camp Mystic's owners filed five notices of removal on July 13, 2026, moving the wrongful death suits from Travis County to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, and arguing the cases are tied to the bankruptcy. The families' lawyers say they want a public jury trial in state court, and the families have filed motions to send the cases back, which the camp opposes.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, Austin Division |
| Case numbers | 1:26-cv-01916 (Bellows), 1:26-cv-01919 (Getten), 1:26-cv-01922 (Peck), 1:26-cv-01923 (Naylor), 1:26-cv-01926 (Steward) |
| Removed | July 13, 2026 |
| Plaintiff sets | 22 across the five cases |
| Pending motions | Remand to Travis County or transfer to the Southern District of Texas |
| Judge | Not identified in the coverage reviewed |
Travis County State Court Proceedings
Before removal, Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble handled the state cases and, on March 4, 2026, barred Camp Mystic from altering the flood-damaged Guadalupe River cabins and buildings while the Steward case proceeds. Camp Mystic then asked to move five suits into private arbitration under a clause in its registration agreements, and the arbitration and sanctions motions were still undecided when the bankruptcy was filed.
| Court | District Court of Travis County, Texas |
| Judge | Hon. Maya Guerra Gamble |
| First suits filed | November 10, 2025 |
| Preservation order | March 4, 2026 (Steward case) |
| Arbitration motions | Filed March 24, 2026; withdrawn and refiled May 13, 2026; no ruling reported |
| Jury trials | Had been scheduled for 2027 before the bankruptcy and removal |
What Is the Camp Mystic Lawsuit Payout?
The Camp Mystic lawsuit payout has not been determined, because no settlement, judgment, or award exists in any of the five wrongful death suits.
The families seek actual damages and exemplary damages without a single stated total, although the Peck and Steward suits each ask for more than $1 million. What any family could actually collect depends on rulings that have not happened, and only a qualified attorney reviewing a specific situation can say what a claim may be worth.
Insurance limits are the main practical ceiling in the coverage reviewed. The Lanier Law Firm says court records show Camp Mystic carried only about $6 million in liability insurance, which it calculates would be roughly $250,000 per family if divided evenly among the families it counted, and the bankruptcy judge has barred any payment from the estates or insurance proceeds without court permission.
Bankruptcy law professor Angela Littwin told the Texas Newsroom in June that the most common outcome of a case like this is that the lawsuits are settled inside the bankruptcy rather than returning to separate courtrooms. In August, Camp Mystic also filed a complaint in the bankruptcy court arguing that suits against five Eastland family members who are not debtors would drain the insurance, and the families disagree that the bankruptcy stay shields those individuals.
Camp Mystic Lawsuit Updates and Case Status
Camp Mystic lawsuit updates and case status show five wrongful death suits that moved from Travis County court to federal court and then into a bankruptcy-driven pause that is set to lift on November 9, 2026. No settlement date has been set as of October 2026, and the full timeline below lists every confirmed development in order.
Camp Mystic Lawsuit Timeline of Events
Judge Lopez Rejects Eastland Governance Plan
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez rejected the Eastland family's governance proposal for Camp Mystic, LLC and Natural Fountains Properties, Inc. on October 21, 2026, saying a tiebreaker does not resolve the conflict of Eastland-controlled boards deciding the flood suits. The companies have until October 28 to propose acceptable independent fiduciaries, a hearing on any revisions is set for November 3, and the trustee motions are held in abeyance.
Bankruptcy Court Sets November 9 Date for Suits to Resume
The Southern District of Texas bankruptcy court ordered on October 14, 2026 that the Camp Mystic wrongful death litigation may resume on November 9, subject to restrictions on recovering from the bankruptcy estates and liability insurance proceeds. The order followed a nearly 12-hour hearing on October 9 in which Judge Christopher Lopez said he needed closing arguments before deciding who controls the case.
Camp Mystic Files Plan to Auction Its Property
Camp Mystic filed a Chapter 11 reorganization plan on September 25, 2026 that would auction the 749 acres it owns and other assets, with a stated preference for a buyer that would keep the camp's historic mission. The families' attorney said the victims' families will fight to make sure any sale is fair and transparent.
Texas Rangers Criminal Probe of Camp Mystic Reported
Texas Public Radio reported on September 22, 2026 that Texas Rangers are investigating Camp Mystic for possible manslaughter and other criminal charges, based on search warrants. The reporting says no camp leaders have been charged.
Camp Mystic Fights Families' Bids to Send Suits Back to State Court
Law360 reported on August 20, 2026 that Camp Mystic opposed the families' motions to remand the five wrongful death suits to state court, arguing that federal law is clear that the cases belong in federal court.
Camp Mystic Sues Families Over Eastland Family Members' Insurance
In August 2026, Camp Mystic filed an adversary complaint in its bankruptcy case arguing that wrongful death suits against five non-bankrupt Eastland family members would deplete the camp's insurance assets, and it asked the court to pause those suits if the automatic stay does not already cover them.
Camp Mystic Removes Five Suits to Federal Court
Camp Mystic's owners filed five notices of removal on July 13, 2026, moving Bellows, Getten, Peck, Naylor, and Steward from Travis County to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, and a state status hearing set for July 15 was canceled.
Families Ask Bankruptcy Judge to Confirm the Stay Does Not Shield the Owners
In July 2026, the families asked the Southern District of Texas bankruptcy judge to confirm that Camp Mystic's Chapter 11 automatic stay does not protect the camp's individual owners from the wrongful death suits.
Camp Mystic Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Camp Mystic, LLC and Natural Fountains Properties, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of Texas on June 24, 2026, which automatically paused the wrongful death suits against the companies.
Travis County Judge Expected to Rule on Arbitration
KUT reported on June 9, 2026 that Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble was expected to decide the next day whether five wrongful death suits would go to private arbitration. No ruling on arbitration or on the families' sanctions motions was reported before the June 24 bankruptcy filing.
Parents File Amended Federal Suit Against Texas Health Officials
Parents of nine of the girls who died filed an amended federal complaint on May 22, 2026 against Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner Jennifer Shuford and other department officials, alleging the camp lacked the evacuation plan state rules required.
Camp Mystic Withdraws and Refiles Arbitration Motions
Camp Mystic withdrew its original motions to compel arbitration hours before a May 13, 2026 hearing and refiled amended ones, a move Judge Gamble criticized from the bench and the families called bad-faith litigation conduct.
Camp Mystic Withdraws Its 2026 License Application
Camp Mystic told the Texas Department of State Health Services in May 2026 that it was withdrawing its application for a 2026 summer camp license, days after the Texas House and Senate General Investigating Committees held a joint hearing on the flood.
Camp Mystic Moves to Force Arbitration
Camp Mystic filed motions on March 24, 2026 asking Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble to send five wrongful death suits to binding arbitration, citing a provision in the agreements families signed when registering their daughters.
Judge Orders Camp Mystic to Preserve Flood-Damaged Areas
Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled on March 4, 2026 that Camp Mystic cannot demolish, repair, or rebuild the flood-damaged cabins and grounds along the Guadalupe River while the Steward case proceeds, and the order did not block the camp from reopening its separate Cypress Lake site.
Parents of Nine Victims Sue Texas Health Officials in Federal Court
Parents of nine of the 27 campers and counselors who died filed a federal lawsuit on February 23, 2026 against the Texas Department of State Health Services and six of its officials, alleging the state licensed Camp Mystic even though it lacked the written evacuation plan state law requires.
Steward Family Files Suit Over Missing Daughter
Will and Catherine "CiCi" Steward filed a wrongful death and survival suit in Travis County on February 4, 2026 over their 8-year-old daughter Cile, who was missing after the flood, seeking more than $1 million and an order preserving evidence.
More Families Join the Getten Suit
Attorneys confirmed on November 14, 2025 that the McCown, Pohl, Sheedy, Stevens, and Toranzo families were added to the Getten wrongful death suit against Camp Mystic in Travis County.
Lanier Law Firm Files for Six Families
The Lanier Law Firm filed a wrongful death suit in Travis County District Court in November 2025 for the families of six girls, alleging negligence, gross negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and failure to warn, and seeking actual and exemplary damages plus youth camp safety changes.
Peck and Getten Families File Suits
On November 10, 2025, the Peck family of Dallas County and the Getten family of Houston each filed a wrongful death suit against Camp Mystic in Travis County District Court over the deaths of their 8-year-old and 9-year-old daughters, and the Getten suit named two individual defendants not named in the earlier filings.
Seven Sets of Parents File the Bellows Petition
The parents of five campers and two counselors filed the Bellows original petition against Camp Mystic, LLC, Natural Fountains Properties, Inc., two affiliated Mystic Camps entities, and four members of the Eastland family in Travis County District Court on November 10, 2025, alleging the camp put profit over safety.
Heaven's 27 Camp Safety Act Signed
Texas enacted the Heaven's 27 Camp Safety Act on September 5, 2025, which sets stronger safety and emergency planning requirements for youth camps and is cited by the families in their petitions.
Guadalupe River Flood Kills 27 Campers and Counselors at Camp Mystic
A flash flood on the Guadalupe River killed 25 campers, two counselors, and camp director Richard "Dick" Eastland at Camp Mystic in Kerr County on July 4, 2025, among more than 130 people who died across the Texas Hill Country.
What Did the Camp Mystic Defendants Allegedly Know About Flood Risk?
The Camp Mystic defendants allegedly knew about flood risk at the Guadalupe River site for decades, according to the families' petitions, which cite the camp's own materials about the 1932 "Great Flood" given to campers and the 2013 floodplain map requests described above.
The camp's side of the dispute rests mainly on procedure so far. Attorney Mikal Watts, who represents Camp Mystic and the Eastland family, welcomed the evidence preservation order in March, and the camp argues that families agreed to binding arbitration and acknowledged the risk of "floods" in their registration agreements. The families say the camp waived arbitration by litigating for months and that the agreements do not excuse the conduct alleged. Watts also told CNN in April that the tragedy was made worse by the absence of a flood warning siren system that Kerr County officials had proposed years earlier, and public reporting quotes camp representatives describing the flood as unprecedented and unforeseeable, positions no court has yet tested.
Government scrutiny adds context to the allegations. Houston Public Media reported in July that an investigative report adopted by a Texas legislative committee found the camp lacked written emergency plans and cited delayed evacuations, though the camp has not conceded liability in any suit reviewed.
| Defendant | How the pleadings name it |
|---|---|
| Camp Mystic, LLC | Named in the Bellows, Peck, Naylor, and Steward cases; filed for Chapter 11 on June 24, 2026 |
| Natural Fountains Properties, Inc. | Named in the Bellows and Getten cases; filed for Chapter 11 alongside Camp Mystic, LLC |
| Mystic Camps Family Partnership, Ltd. and Mystic Camps Management, LLC | Affiliated entities named in the Bellows petition |
| George Albritton "Britt" Eastland (as representative of the estate of Richard Eastland), Willetta Eastland, Edward Eastland, and Mary Liz Eastland | Individual defendants named in the Bellows petition |
| William Neely Bonner III and Seaborn Stacy Eastland | Additional individual defendants named in the Getten suit |
How Does the Camp Mystic Lawsuit Compare to Related Cases?
The Camp Mystic lawsuit differs from the related proceedings because each of them targets a different party or seeks a different outcome, and none of them replaces the families' wrongful death suits against the camp.
| Proceeding | Who is involved | Forum | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suit against Texas health officials | Parents of nine victims v. Commissioner Jennifer Shuford and other state health department officials | Federal court | Amended complaint filed May 22, 2026; the department says it does not comment on pending litigation |
| Criminal investigation | Texas Rangers, examining Camp Mystic and Eastland family members | Not a court case | Warrants cite manslaughter and related offenses; no charges reported as of early October 2026; the Kerr County district attorney recused herself |
| Legislative investigation | Texas House and Senate General Investigating Committees | State Capitol hearings | Joint hearing held in May 2026; the camp withdrew its 2026 license application days later |
The federal suit against state officials alleges the department licensed the camp and found no violations in a July 2 inspection even though the camp lacked a required evacuation plan, which is a separate theory from the camp's own negligence, and it seeks relief from officials rather than from the Eastland family.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Camp Mystic lawsuit about?
The Camp Mystic lawsuit is about five wrongful death and survival suits by families of girls who died in the July 4, 2025 flood, alleging the camp and its owners failed to evacuate campers or protect them from a known flood risk.
Is the Camp Mystic lawsuit a class action or an MDL?
The Camp Mystic lawsuit is neither a class action nor an MDL, because each family brings its own wrongful death claims in five separate suits that cover 22 sets of plaintiffs.
Has the Camp Mystic lawsuit settled?
No. The Camp Mystic lawsuit has not settled, and no settlement fund, judgment, or payout exists, while the bankruptcy court has barred any payment from the estates or insurance proceeds without its permission.
How does the Camp Mystic bankruptcy affect the lawsuits?
The Camp Mystic bankruptcy filed on June 24, 2026 automatically paused the lawsuits against the camp companies, and the bankruptcy court has ruled the suits may resume on November 9, 2026, subject to limits on collecting from the estates and insurance.
Where are the Camp Mystic lawsuits being heard?
The Camp Mystic lawsuits are currently in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas after removal on July 13, 2026, and the families have asked to send them back to Travis County state court.
Who is being sued in the Camp Mystic lawsuit?
The Camp Mystic lawsuit names Camp Mystic, LLC, Natural Fountains Properties, Inc., two affiliated Mystic Camps entities, and members of the Eastland family, including the estate of camp director Richard Eastland.
Is Camp Mystic facing criminal charges?
No criminal charges against Camp Mystic or its leaders have been reported, although Texas Rangers are investigating possible manslaughter and related offenses and the Kerr County district attorney recused herself from the probe.
Is the lawsuit against Texas health officials part of the Camp Mystic lawsuit?
The lawsuit against Texas health officials is separate from the Camp Mystic lawsuit, because parents of nine victims sued state department officials in federal court over how the camp was licensed rather than suing the camp's owners.