A Greenville, Texas, foster care facility where an 11-year-old boy, identified as O.R., died in November 2023 had a long history of serious abuse and neglect, according to a federal report filed Tuesday. The report, revealed by the Texas Tribune, is part of an ongoing 14-year federal lawsuit and sheds light on broader systemic failures within Texas' long-term foster care system, which has seen 16 child deaths in the past 15 months.
History of Abuse
Thompson's Residential Treatment Center, which opened in 2009, had been under scrutiny for years due to repeated incidents of physical abuse, sexual misconduct, and neglect. Among the most disturbing revelations was that staff at Thompson's organized and refereed fights between children as a form of conflict resolution. Staff also placed bets on the fights.
The same investigation revealed improper physical restraints, in which children were forcibly held down with their limbs twisted behind their backs. Children at the facility also reported incidents of sexual misconduct between residents.
In 2018, a child suffered a lacerated liver due to excessive force during a restraint. Between 2019 and 2024, the state cited the facility for 51 regulatory violations, ranging from inadequate staffing to improper medication management. In 2023, the state confirmed two cases of physical abuse. Despite the facility's troubling history, Thompson's remained operational for more than a decade.
The Death of O.R.
The death of O.R., which took place on November 27, 2023, was one of 16 foster care fatalities in Texas between November 2023 and February 2024. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is actively investigating six of these deaths, including O.R.'s.
According to the Texas Tribune, O.R. suffered from autism spectrum disorder, trauma-related disorders, and gastrointestinal issues. He had been placed at Thompson's just two weeks before his death and was on four psychotropic medications.
In the days leading up to his death, O.R. complained of severe stomach pain. Despite this, staff forced him to attend a movie outing, where surveillance footage later revealed he was visibly struggling to stand. Witnesses reported that he urinated on himself and was left in soiled clothing throughout the movie. He died in his seat before the movie ended.
Initially, Thompson's staff falsely claimed O.R. had been fine upon entering the theater, but security footage contradicted their statements. The state moved to revoke Thompson's license a week later and officially shut down the facility on February 4, 2024.
The Texas Foster Care System
The federal court report revealed that since mid-2019, 65 children have died in long-term Texas foster care placements. Many were medically fragile children, but others, like O.R., were victims of systemic neglect and inadequate care. The other five recent foster care deaths under investigation include:
- An 8-year-old girl with intellectual disabilities who died from sepsis due to a kidney infection.
- A 12-year-old nonverbal girl who dislodged her tracheostomy tube, leading to respiratory distress.
- A 17-year-old girl who died in a relative's home, where narcotics and alcohol were found.
- A 7-year-old blind and nonverbal girl on a ventilator who suffered fatal complications.
- A 5-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who was found unresponsive in his foster home.
The federal lawsuit examining Texas' foster care system has been ongoing since 2011. However, in October 2023, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals raised concerns over the judge handling the case, questioning her fairness. The case will be assigned to a new judge on February 19, 2024.
Following O.R.'s death, DFPS declined to comment, while HHSC did not respond to requests for a statement made by the Texas Tribune.
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