A Preventable Tragedy at Camp Colton: Our $55M Notice of Claim Against Flagstaff Unified School District

Plattner Verderame has taken on an important case that seeks accountability from the Flagstaff Unified School District Number 1 (FUSD) and justice for a former student. Our client contracted a life-altering tick-borne disease, Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF), after staying at Camp Colton, an FUSD-run facility, as part of her school programming. We’ve now served the school district with a Notice of Claim, which demands $55 million in compensation. One frightening aspect of this case is that our client is likely not alone. There may be other children who suffered from the same tick-borne infection but may not know that they contracted it during their stay at Camp Colton.

What is Camp Colton—and why were children there?

Camp Colton is an outdoor education facility operated by FUSD. Sixth-grade classes often use the site for class trips. Our client attended the camp in May 2019 as part of a school-sanctioned program.

What went wrong: A history of disease risk

One of the shocking things about this case is that the camp has a background of previous safety issues, including an outbreak of the same condition our client suffers from. In 2014, multiple children contracted TBRF at Camp Colton, leading to investigations conducted by:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Coconino County Public Health Services District
• Arizona Department of Health Services
• Northern Arizona University Researchers

The ticks that cause this condition live in rodent nests, which were commonly found in the camp’s cabins. The above agencies made recommendations in 2014 for rodent removal, followed immediately by tick control measures (to eliminate ectoparasites) before students would be allowed back in the Camp Colton dormitories. These public health authorities made it clear that further exposure could be prevented. However, based on records we obtained with a Public Records search, FUSD did not implement these tick control protocols on time in 2019 and apparently in other years as well. They also failed to provide warnings to parents or students about the continued risks of tick-borne illness at the campsite.

Understanding our client’s diagnosis: Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever

TBRF is caused by the Borrelia hermsii bacterium, which spreads through bites from “soft ticks” often found in rodent nests. These are not the same kind of hard ticks such as deer ticks that are found in the woods, and the disease complications are specific to these soft ticks. After exposure, our client developed serious and ongoing health complications. Symptoms of the condition include:

• Trigeminal neuralgia: A “condition that causes intense pain similar to an electric shock on one side of the face.”
• Autoimmune encephalitis: This group of conditions causes the brain to swell because the immune system mistakenly attacks brain cells. Symptoms include “memory loss, changes in thinking, changes in behavior and seizures.”
• Functional neurological disorder: This condition changes how the brain’s networks work, leading to possible seizure-like symptoms, pain, difficulty speaking, vision and hearing challenges, difficulty with cognitive functioning, dizziness, and more.
• Chronic pain syndrome: A condition that causes a person to experience “symptoms beyond pain alone, like depression and anxiety, which interfere with their daily lives.”
• Aphasia, collapses, seizure-like episodes.

These symptoms have a severe and ongoing impact on our client’s life. She requires regular treatment from multiple medical specialists and struggles with everyday functioning. The illness has also robbed her of her promising future as a gymnast. Before the illness, she was a nationally ranked Level 7 competitive gymnast with Olympic aspirations. She also had a possible future competing at UCLA. Sadly, the illness ended her athletic career and altered her educational trajectory.

Our legal action: A $55 million notice of claim

We served FUSD with our formal Notice of Claim seeking $55 million in damages on August 26, 2025. The compensation we’re seeking aims to recover for the client’s past and ongoing medical expenses, her pain and suffering, and loss of future earning capacity. If the District does not respond within 60 days, we will move forward with a civil lawsuit.

Why this case matters: Protecting Arizona families

Our client is not suffering because of an isolated oversight. FUSD was aware of the risks of tick-borne illness at this camp and had information on how to prevent future infections. Also, there may be other victims. We encourage families whose children visited Camp Colton after 2014 and within two weeks afterward began experiencing unexplained or diagnosed TBRF illness to contact us. We will investigate potential additional cases of TBRF exposure.

If your child attended this camp, look for symptoms they experienced that may be indicative of TBRF, which can be misdiagnosed or dismissed. Schools have a duty of care to protect children from known environmental hazards. If your child experiences ongoing medical issues after attending Camp Colton or similar facilities, it may be worth investigating further.

How Plattner Verderame, P.C. can help

At Plattner Verderame, P.C., we represent victims of institutional negligence and environmental health failures. Our team fights for families when powerful organizations ignore risks and put people’s health and futures in jeopardy. We have experience with complex medical and personal injury litigation, and our trial-ready attorneys are prepared to act when a new client comes to us seeking justice and accountability.

If your child attended Camp Colton and experienced illness—especially neurological symptoms—call us or use our contact form to reach out to us today for a free, confidential consultation.