A Texas regulatory body has suspended the nursing license of a Camp Mystic co-director, issuing a strongly worded order that accuses her of failing to assist children during the catastrophic floods last year, which claimed the lives of 25 girls and two teenage counsellors.
Board's Stern Action
The Texas Board of Nursing's executive director, Kristin Benton, signed the order on Tuesday, stating that allowing Mary Liz Eastland to continue practising as a nurse would pose a "continuing and imminent threat to public welfare." Eastland, a registered nurse who served as the camp's medical officer, has previously acknowledged in court that she made no attempt to reach children and staff in the low-lying areas of the camp as the pre-dawn flooding along the Guadalupe River intensified.
The order accuses Eastland of abandoning campers and staff by evacuating herself and her children to higher ground without providing any assistance or direction to others. It represents one of the state's first actions against a member of the family that owns and operates the all-girls Christian camp since the July 4 flood.
Legal Response
Camp Mystic attorney Joshua Fiveson said Eastland rejects the findings and will contest the suspension. He criticised the board for suspending her license with less than a day's notice of a hearing and without taking testimony or conducting a full investigation. "This is a sad day for Mrs Eastland as well as every licensed nurse in Texas," Fiveson said. "This was an exercise in premature punishment."
According to the order, the board is expected to issue a final decision on her license within two months.
Background and Criticism
Since the flood, the Eastland family has faced increasing criticism from victims' families and Texas lawmakers. Several families have filed lawsuits against the Eastlands, who initially pressed ahead with plans to reopen the camp before ultimately backing down last month amid public outrage.
In April, legislative hearings revealed the camp's lack of detailed planning for a flood emergency, its reliance on poorly trained staff, and missed opportunities to evacuate children from cabins near the river.
Eastland's Account
During those hearings, Mary Liz Eastland recounted her actions that night, describing how she and her children left their house to join her mother-in-law. She said water poured into the house, forcing them to break a window to escape. The family managed to reach higher ground.
She and other staff later gathered survivors for a head count, checking names against cabin rosters. However, she stated she could not pass through the rising floodwaters to reach the campers closest to the Guadalupe River.
Eastland was also questioned about why, as the camp's chief medical officer, she did not attempt to call or alert other medical staff to assist the campers before disaster struck. When asked if other staff could have helped with the evacuation, she replied, "Maybe so."
