FAMILY PROTESTS SEXUAL ASSAULTS AT SCARBOROUGH FAIRE

ELLIS COUNTY – Gary and Kelly Brignon were at Scarborough Renaissance Festival this past weekend. It is certain they will never be able to enjoy the festival again like they once did.

Their 14-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted back in 2018 while working at the festival. 

Even though the assailant was convicted, that doesn’t bring their daughter back to who she was before that unforgettable spring.

The Brignons were at the festival – more commonly known as Scarborough Faire – on Sunday protesting the fact that if underage workers are going to continue to be hired at the festival, then there needs to be background checks on workers at the minimum.

This is a procedure the Scarborough does not currently have in place, according to the Brignons.

Scarborough did not contact this newspaper by press time with a response.

While the Brignon’s daughter has been advised not to talk about her sexual assault from 2018 in which worker David James Ford was arrested and charged, Kelly said her daughter wants to talk when she is advised she is able to do so. 

The Brignon’s first day to protest was this past Sunday and the mother said, “We will be out there every weekend until the festival ends Memorial Day Monday – six more weekends.”

While nothing can change the experience the Brignon’s daughter had to go through as well girls involved in additional sexual assault complaints that have been filed in the past, the parents said they want to bring attention to the hiring process there.

“If they are going to continue to hire 14 year olds/minors, then background checks should be performed on workers as well as sexual harassment and sexual predator training for the kids such as what to look for and action plans for these kids should they be approached,” Kelly said. 

“There was nothing in place for our child when she worked out there.  

Both Gary and Kelly said there were many people stopping to read the signs and have a conversation on Sunday in regard to their protest topic.

“We had people read the signs, tell us thank you, tell us we were doing a good job, and ask us specific questions about what we were protesting and how we knew,” Kelly added. 

“We were able to give them facts that were obtained through public information resources provided by law enforcement in addition to our daughter’s case without giving out her personal information.”

In short, Kelly said they want to make sure other young girls and their parents do not have to experience the same loss her daughter and they did.

“Our daughter was hired by the festival to sell souvenirs,” Kelly said. “She was targeted and groomed by a sexual predator who sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions there. Her life was forever altered by what happened to her; however, she wants to be an advocate for sexual assault victims and she also wants to make sure no other child goes through what she went through. She wants them held accountable. This has been a nightmare for our family.  You do everything you can to protect your children and make sure they’re safe.”

The Brignons believe Scarborough Faire had a duty to keep their child safe while she worked for them.  

“They had a history of sexual assaults and chose not to change their hiring practices,” Kelly added. “They could have done more to protect our child and the other young workers who have been harmed while employed by them. We can’t change what happened to our daughter but we can do everything in our power to bring awareness to the ongoing problems at that festival.”

There is also currently a civil case in Ellis County with Judge Bob Carroll’s court. Kelly said this case is against the man who sexually assaulted her daughter at Scarborough Faire. The family has also sued Texas Mutual over the sexual assault being classified as a workplace injury, as well as Judge Bob Carroll in Ellis Co., who when sentencing the man who committed the crime against their daughter, sided with Texas Mutual that her sexual assault was a workplace accident.

As for next steps after the festival, first of all the couple believe hiring practices need to be looked at and re-evaluated, but they said they also plan to, “Continue fighting the unjust Worker’s Compensation laws in the state of Texas. The Texas Department of Insurance and Scarborough Renaissance Festival worker’s compensation carrier, Texas Mutual, exclude criminal acts from being compensable injuries yet our daughter’s sexual assault – which is a Class A Felony – was deemed a compensable injury by Texas Mutual and ultimately Judge Bob Carroll in Ellis Co.”

Kelly said this effectively bars her daughter and any other woman from holding her employers responsible for negligent hiring, supervision, and retention of employees who sexually assault them at the workplace.

“This is a step back from the ground we covered with the #metoo movement. This is also about politics,” Kelly said.

The Brignons said they will keep fighting to change the worker’s compensation laws in Texas to make sure “anyone sexually assaulted by a coworker has the opportunity to hold their employers responsible if they’re negligent.”