AUSTIN, Texas — State regulators have revoked the nursing credentials of a Camp Mystic co-director, delivering harsh criticism for her response during last year’s devastating flood that claimed the lives of 25 girls and two teenage counselors.
The disciplinary action represents one of Texas’ initial moves against the family that owns and runs the all-girls Christian camp following the July 4 disaster. Camp Mystic recently called off plans to resume operations this summer amid fierce opposition from grieving families.
Mary Liz Eastland, who held nursing credentials and worked as the camp’s medical officer, had previously testified in court proceedings that she made no attempt to reach children and staff located in the camp’s lower areas as early morning flooding intensified along the Guadalupe River. Her father-in-law, Richard Eastland, who owned Camp Mystic, also perished in the flood.
Permitting Mary Liz Eastland to continue her nursing practice would create a “continuing and imminent threat to public welfare,” stated an order executed Tuesday by Kristin Benton, who heads the Texas Board of Nursing.
The document alleges Eastland “abandoned the campers and staff when the camp site began to flood … by evacuating herself and her children to higher ground without providing any assistance or direction to all of the other campers and staff.”
Eastland disputes these conclusions and plans to challenge the suspension, according to Camp Mystic attorney Joshua Fiveson. He criticized the board for revoking her license with minimal advance notice of proceedings and without gathering testimony or completing a thorough investigation.
“This is a sad day for Mrs. Eastland as well as every licensed nurse in Texas,” Fiveson stated. “This was an exercise in premature punishment.”
The board’s order indicates a final determination regarding her license will be made within two months.
Following the disaster, the Eastland family has faced mounting criticism from bereaved families and Texas legislators. Multiple families have initiated legal proceedings against the Eastlands, who spent months pursuing reopening plans before eventually abandoning them.
Legislative hearings in April revealed the camp’s inadequate flood emergency protocols, dependence on insufficiently trained personnel, and lost opportunities to move children away from riverside cabins.
During those hearings, Mary Liz Eastland detailed her actions that evening when she and her children departed their residence to join her mother-in-law. She described water flooding into the house and breaking a window to escape. The family managed to reach higher ground.
She and other personnel assembled survivors for attendance verification, comparing names with cabin lists. She testified that rising floodwaters prevented her from reaching the campers positioned nearest to the Guadalupe River.
Eastland also faced questioning about why she failed, as the camp’s chief medical officer, to contact or notify other medical personnel to assist campers before the catastrophe occurred. When asked whether additional staff could have aided in camp evacuation efforts, she responded, “Maybe so.”
