Lead: On Feb. 23, 2026, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick urged Texas health regulators not to grant a new operating license to Camp Mystic, the summer camp where flooding last July killed 27 girls and the camp’s executive director. The letter, made public and shared on social media, said it would be inappropriate to allow full reopening before all facts are known. That call came the same day parents of nine campers and counselors filed a lawsuit alleging state officials share blame for licensing failures tied to the deaths.
Key Takeaways
- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick publicly asked the Texas Department of State Health Services on Feb. 23, 2026, to withhold a new license for Camp Mystic pending further review.
- The July 2025 flood at Camp Mystic resulted in 27 fatalities among campers and the executive director, a fact central to renewed scrutiny.
- A lawsuit filed on Feb. 23, 2026, by families of nine campers and counselors accuses the state agency of repeatedly licensing the camp despite lacking a required evacuation plan.
- Camp Mystic has not submitted a license renewal application for 2026, the agency said, even as the camp opened partial registration in January 2026.
- Texas camps may renew licenses without a late fee through March 31, 2026, a statutory deadline that frames the timing of legal and administrative pressure.
- Camp counsel Mikal Watts called the suit “without merit,” saying the camp has spent millions on safety upgrades since the flood.
- The Department of State Health Services declined public comment on pending litigation, per its spokesperson.
Background
Camp Mystic, a private summer camp on the Guadalupe River, was struck by a sudden flood in July 2025 that killed 27 girls and the camp’s executive director. The deaths prompted statewide outrage, multiple civil inquiries and questions about campsite weather monitoring, evacuation planning and licensing oversight. Texas law requires licensed camps to maintain written evacuation plans; plaintiffs in the families’ suit allege Camp Mystic lacked such a plan for years while receiving annual licenses.
The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is the state agency responsible for inspecting and licensing overnight camps. Licensing season runs each spring, and the statutory window for renewal without penalty closes on March 31. That calendar creates an operational hinge: camp operators often aim to complete renewal paperwork months before the season starts, but legal actions or regulatory holds can delay or block approvals.
Main Event
On Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick sent a strongly worded letter to Jennifer Shuford, commissioner of DSHS, asking that Camp Mystic be denied a license to resume full operations. Patrick’s letter said he would be uncomfortable sending his own grandchildren to a camp where 27 young girls died less than a year earlier and argued reopening should wait until investigations conclude.
That same day parents of nine campers and counselors filed suit alleging that DSHS repeatedly issued licences to Camp Mystic despite the camp’s lack of a required evacuation plan. The complaint seeks to hold the agency accountable for its oversight role; plaintiffs say the absence of an evacuation plan contributed to the high death toll during the July flood.
Camp Mystic’s lawyer, Mikal Watts, responded that the lawsuit is timed to influence the licensing process and characterized it as politically motivated pressure. He also stated the camp has complied with state law and invested millions of dollars in new safety technology since the flood. DSHS spokeswoman Lara Anton said the agency would not comment on pending litigation and confirmed the camp had not filed a renewal application for 2026 as of the spokeswoman’s statement.
Analysis & Implications
The Lt. Governor’s intervention escalates political scrutiny around a regulatory process usually handled administratively. When elected officials weigh in publicly on individual licensing decisions, regulators can face heightened pressure that complicates impartial review. For DSHS, the choice is between an expedited decision that could invite criticism and a prolonged hold that might be challenged as an overreach or delay to families seeking normalcy.
Legally, the parents’ lawsuit places DSHS at the center of a negligence and regulatory-compliance dispute. If plaintiffs prove the agency failed to enforce evacuation-plan requirements, the case could spur administrative reforms and potentially increase state oversight resources for camps statewide. Conversely, a finding for the agency would reinforce existing licensing discretion but could leave families seeking accountability through civil damages instead of regulatory penalties.
Operationally, Camp Mystic’s partial reopening plans and registration launch create a practical dilemma: families are being asked to decide whether to enroll amid unresolved legal and political battles. Even if DSHS were to grant a license, public trust — and therefore enrollment — may remain depressed unless regulators and the camp transparently demonstrate changed safety practices.
Comparison & Data
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Camp Mystic flood causing 27 deaths | July 2025 |
| Camp opened registration for partial 2026 season | January 2026 |
| Lt. Gov. letter and families’ lawsuit filed | Feb. 23, 2026 |
| License renewal deadline without late fee | March 31, 2026 |
The timeline underscores why late February is a flashpoint: litigation and public statements arrive in the narrow window before statutory renewal deadlines, raising the chance that legal and political developments will shape administrative outcomes rather than standard regulatory review.
Reactions & Quotes
“I would not feel comfortable sending my grandchildren to a camp where 27 young girls lost their lives less than a year ago.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (public letter)
The Lt. Governor framed his intervention in personal terms to underscore the emotional stakes and to press the health agency for caution.
“This is nothing more than power politics at its worst,”
Mikal Watts (attorney for Camp Mystic)
Camp counsel used strong language to characterize the lawsuit and public pressure as strategic moves aimed at influencing the licensing timeline, while also pointing to investments in safety upgrades.
“The agency does not comment on pending litigation,”
Lara Anton, DSHS spokesperson
DSHS’s limited public response emphasized procedural restraint amid active legal proceedings and signaled the agency’s intent to avoid commentary that could affect litigation or licensing discretion.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Camp Mystic will submit a formal license renewal application before the March 31, 2026 deadline remains unconfirmed.
- The extent to which prior DSHS inspections flagged the absence of a written evacuation plan has not been publicly verified by agency inspection records.
- Claims that new safety technologies alone would fully mitigate flood risk have not been independently validated in publicly available technical assessments.
Bottom Line
The dispute over Camp Mystic’s licensing combines legal claims, emotional public statements and a tight administrative calendar. The Lt. Governor’s letter and the families’ lawsuit increase pressure on DSHS to act transparently and could prompt either a temporary hold on licensing or a contested approval that invites further litigation.
For families, regulators and legislators, the case highlights broader questions about how states enforce safety standards, document compliance and balance community healing with rigorous review. Watch for DSHS’s formal licensing decision, any expedited court rulings, and disclosure of inspection records—each will shape whether Camp Mystic can operate this summer and whether state oversight of camps will change.
Sources
- The New York Times (news report on letter and lawsuit)
- Texas Department of State Health Services (official: camp licensing authority)
- Office of the Lieutenant Governor, State of Texas (official: public statements and communications)