TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — The legal team for Camp Mystic has filed an appeal against a court order that shut down its Guadalupe campus, where 27 campers and counselors died in the July 4th flood.
The appeal comes one month after hundreds packed a Travis County courtroom for a hearing on whether the camp could alter or use buildings at the Guadalupe site.
Judge Maya Guerra Gamble granted a temporary injunction filed by Brad Beckworth and Christina Yarnell, representing the family of Cile Steward, the final missing camper still being searched for.
KHOU 11 spoke with Beckworth and Yarnell on Wednesday after learning about the appeal.
“Before we filed suit, the Guadalupe River campus had already been materially altered. Many of the evidence sites were dramatically changed—either remodeled entirely or modified enough that gathering evidence about Cile’s last moments will be difficult,” Yarnell said.
“For anyone in the courtroom on March 4 who heard what we heard and saw the camp director firsthand, it’s clear the camp isn’t ready to reopen,” Beckworth added.
The temporary injunction restricts Camp Mystic from altering, demolishing, repairing, remodeling, reconstructing, or removing any structures or features where campers were housed. This includes the Main Office, Rec Hall, Harrison Hall, and Commissary building. The injunction also prohibits the campus from being used for camp operations and prevents the Eastlands from living on the property.
Court officials confirmed in a March 5 transcript obtained by KHOU 11 that the injunction did not address the Cypress Creek campus.
At the time of the March 4 hearing, both Beckworth and defense attorney Mikal Watts, representing Camp Mystic, expressed satisfaction with the ruling.
“The Guadalupe side of Camp Mystic will not be reopening anytime soon until the evidentiary process toward trial is complete. We’re very pleased with that ruling,” Beckworth said.
“I thought Judge Guerra Gamble did an outstanding job. The hearing was even paused because she recognized the sensible path forward,” Watts said.
Three weeks later, Camp Mystic is challenging the court decision, filing an accelerated appeal with the Third Court of Appeals in Austin. The appeal focuses on the temporary injunction while preserving the camp’s right to invoke arbitration under an existing agreement.
Beckworth and Yarnell expressed concern about arbitration. “If this appeal is successful, the public, the state, and regulators may never hear the testimony about what happened. Everything could be done confidentially under a seal, and that’s dangerous,” Beckworth said.
“The facts must be publicly available. One has to ask why Camp Mystic and the Eastlands would want to hide facts from the public through arbitration,” Yarnell added.
Watts told KHOU 11 that nearly 900 girls have signed up for upcoming summer sessions at Camp Mystic. However, Beckworth and Yarnell noted that the camp has yet to apply for a license with the Texas Department of State Health Services, with the application deadline set for March 31.
A Camp Mystic spokesperson released the following statement:
"Camp Mystic filed an appeal from the temporary injunction on March 25. In a separate emergency motion, we explained that we believe the injunction exceeds what is reasonable at this time. Camp Mystic remains committed to working with state and local authorities to enhance flood safety for the Kerr County community and youth camps across the state.”
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