State Knew of Abuse History at Facility Where Child Died: Investigation

Tragic Death at Thompson Residential Treatment Center

• 💔 An 11-year-old foster child, identified as O, died on November 27th, the day before Thanksgiving, while at the Thompson Residential Treatment Center in Greenville.
• 🏥 The medical examiner ruled the death natural causes due to a bowel obstruction, but a registered nurse and former state inspector stated it was preventable and indicated a lack of attention.
• 🎬 Security footage from the movie theater where O was found unresponsive showed staff dragging him, appearing unsteady, and not walking on his own, contradicting initial staff reports.

Documented History of Violence and Negligence

• 📈 State records reveal a long history of deficiencies at Thompson's RTC, with 232 documented issues since 2010, 155 of which were high or medium-high risk.
• ⚠️ These deficiencies included issues like children hurting children, staff hurting children, inadequate supervision, and prohibited punishments.
• 🥊 In 2011, investigators found staff refereed fights between children, made bets, and sometimes fought the children themselves.
• 🚨 A 2018 incident involved a child hospitalized due to staff restraint, and in 2022, officials noted staff behavior could harm children, with administration potentially giving staff too many chances.
• 👊 More recent incidents include a caregiver choking a child in November 2023 and a staff member pushing a child to the floor in January 2024.

State's Inaction and Licensing Practices

• 🚫 Despite years of documented abuse and violence, the state's Health and Human Services (HHS) did not take action to close Thompson RTC until December 4th, a week after O's death.
• ⚖️ The state's response to multiple violations often involved increasing inspections rather than immediate closure.
• 🏢 Shockingly, the state not only allowed Thompson RTC to continue operating but also licensed the operators to open two additional facilities.
• 🗣️ Former residents reported that staff did not intervene in fights, sometimes participated, and used violence as a means of control, with a lack of oversight due to closed doors and no cameras.
• 🏈 Thompson RTC was owned by former NFL player Chan Thompson, who declined to comment on the allegations.
• 📉 Texas Health and Human Services stated they determined the facility posed an immediate threat on December 4th, leading to its closure.