May 27, 2026
A Closer Look At Summer Camp Safety with Leading Advocate Elizabeth Phillips
**Sensitive Content**
Camp Safety in America: Trey’s Law, and Lessons From Camp Mystic.
One click resource: beforeyougotocamp.com.
As we move into another summer season, camp safety advocate Elizabeth Phillips says U.S. summer camp safety needs an overhaul.
Phillips, a Texas-raised mother of three, shares her road to advocacy, describing how her brother Trey endured abuse at a well-known summer camp, was silenced by a civil-settlement NDA, eventually, took his own life. The perpetrator received three life sentences. Prosecutors estimated hundreds of victims.
As a result, Elizabeth has made it her mission to highlight the need for statute-of-limitations reform and has advocated for new legislation – specifically “Trey’s Law” which bans NDAs in child sexual abuse and trafficking civil settlements; it has passed in multiple states and is advancing federally.
Phillips also supported Camp Mystic families after last summer’s deadly Hill Country flooding led to questions about better laws and regulations.
A much needed site guide for parents and guardians everywhere: beforeyougotocamp.com.
00:00 How Safe Are Camps
01:40 Meet Elizabeth Phillips
04:52 Growing Up With Camp
06:40 Kanakuk Pipeline Loyalty
08:24 Trey Story And Loss
11:01 NDA Silence And Trauma
15:47 Delayed Disclosure Stats
18:27 Statute Limits Reform Fight
22:15 What Treys Law Does
25:48 Federal Momentum Timeline
27:16 Oklahoma Setback Opposition
30:46 What Surprised Her Most
31:07 NDA Silence Breaks
32:08 Survivors Testify Again
34:35 Cost of Advocacy
36:47 Parents Ask Hard Questions
38:46 Camp Mystic Tragedy
41:54 Do New Laws Close Camps
45:43 Should Mystic Reopen
53:56 Practical Safety Checklist
57:25 National Standards Push
59:23 Make Camp Safe Again
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by Jenna Lee, Founder of SmartHER News
