A preschool aged child was repeatedly sexually assaulted inside the Kids Academy childcare facility at Life Time Fitness in Highland Park — in a place the child’s parents trusted to keep them safe. Aldous Law has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the child, alleging that gross failures in supervision and leadership allowed the abuse to happen again and again over the span of two years.
Life Time Fitness Named in Lawsuit for Gross Negligence
The lawsuit names Life Time Fitness, the Kids Academy manager, and Life Time's general manager as defendants. It alleges that their failures to implement and enforce basic supervision and safety protocols created the conditions that allowed this abuse to occur.
Life Time Fitness is a Minnesota-based company operating more than 185 athletic clubs across the United States and Canada. Many of its facilities, including the Highland Park location, offer on-site childcare services for members - services that parents rely on with the expectation that their children will be protected.
Dallas police have arrested the 12-year-old perpetrator and charged him with aggravated sexual assault of a child in connection with this case.
“A Childcare Facility Has One Sacred Responsibility”
"Let's be clear. A childcare facility has one sacred responsibility: to protect children," said Charla Aldous. "When a child is left alone and vulnerable, that is not a mistake. It is a failure of leadership and supervision, and we will demand accountability."
Allegations of Inadequate Supervision
The family had trusted the Highland Park Life Time Kids Academy with their child's care since August 2022. Without the parents' knowledge, their child was repeatedly left unsupervised in a secluded area of the facility with the older perpetrator - in direct violation of Life Time's own stated policies. That failure of supervision gave the older perpetrator repeated, unsupervised access to children far younger than himself. The abuse continued over the span of two years before it came to light.
The Impact on the Child and Family
"The harm described in this case is unimaginable," Eleanor Aldous said. "This lawsuit exists because no child should ever be exposed to this kind of trauma — especially in a facility that was entrusted with their care."
Pushing for Accountability and Safer Standards
This case is about more than one family. It is about ensuring that childcare facilities are held to the standards parents have every right to expect. "This case is about making sure safety standards in childcare facilities are not just words on paper," said Aldous Law partner Caleb Miller. "When supervision breaks down, children are put at risk. This legal action is intended to expose those failures and help make sure this never happens to another family."
Were You or Your Child Affected? Contact Aldous Law.
Aldous Law is continuing its investigation into this matter. If your child attended the Life Time Fitness Kids Academy in Highland Park and you have concerns - about supervision, safety, or anything your child may have experienced - please contact us. We know how hard it is to come forward, especially when children are involved. Every call and email to our firm is handled with complete discretion, care, and respect. You are not alone, and we want to hear from you.
