Parents of Six-Year-Old File Federal Civil Rights Suit Alleging Evidence Concealment in Death Investigation

The parents of a six-year-old girl who died over Memorial Day weekend in 2024 have filed a federal lawsuit alleging a coordinated effort among several North Carolina agencies— including the Dallas (NC) Fire Department — to conceal evidence of trauma and falsely classify their daughter’s death as an accidental drowning. The suit was filed November 12, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. 

The complaint was brought by the child’s mother, Deandra Camm Washington, and father, Travis Baldwin, against four defendants: the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Gaston County, CaroMont Regional Medical Center, and the Dallas Fire Department. While multiple agencies are alleged to have participated in suppressing evidence, the complaint contains numerous allegations directed specifically at the Dallas Fire Department’s actions as first responders.

According to the complaint, six-year-old Ariana Camm Baldwin left home on May 25, 2024, to attend a birthday sleepover. She was found unresponsive the following day and transported to CaroMont Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced deceased. An EMS report documented a contusion on the anterior chest above the manubrium—an injury the plaintiffs state is consistent with blunt force trauma. 

The lawsuit alleges that despite the EMS documentation, various agencies involved in the investigation subsequently omitted the chest injury from their official reports. The autopsy ultimately listed the cause of death as drowning, though the plaintiffs claim the medical findings did not support that conclusion.

The Dallas Fire Department is alleged to have played two primary roles in the events described in the complaint: (1) failing to provide life-saving care at the scene, and (2) failing to preserve or disclose critical evidence from the incident.

The complaint states that Dallas Fire and Rescue was a first responder at the swimming pool and “had immediate responsibilities on arrival to attempt rescue and life-saving medical aid, secure the scene, and immediately notify law enforcement and the county Medical Examiner.” 

However, the plaintiffs allege that Dallas Fire “did not attempt rescue or life-saving medical care” at the scene. The complaint points to an EMS report that “implicated Dallas Fire & Rescue’s non-administration of medical care to Ariana at the swimming-pool scene.” 

The plaintiffs claim this constituted a breach of duty and contributed to the loss of critical time during what they describe as the “golden hour” of emergency medical response.

The second category of allegations concerns evidence handling. According to the complaint, Dallas Fire “possessed crucial photographs, recordings, incident reports, and documentation from the scene but participated in the systematic concealment of evidence.” 

The plaintiffs assert that the fire department, along with the other defendants, omitted the same chest contusion from their respective reports, which they argue demonstrates coordinated misconduct.

The complaint further alleges that the fire department’s failure to preserve and disclose this material contributed to a “false narrative” of drowning and impeded the parents’ ability to obtain accurate information about their daughter’s death.

The suit asserts multiple legal claims specifically against the Dallas Fire Department, including:

• Civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that Dallas Fire acted under color of state law and participated in depriving the parents of due process through concealment of evidence.
• Civil rights conspiracy under § 1985, alleging Dallas Fire agreed with other defendants to omit documented injuries from official reports.
• Neglect to prevent civil rights violations under § 1986, asserting the department had knowledge of the inconsistencies and failed to intervene.
• Negligent investigation, alleging the failure to document and preserve evidence from the scene.
• Negligence for failure to administer medical care, claiming the department did not attempt rescue or life-saving treatment despite statutory responsibilities as first responders.

The plaintiffs seek compensatory damages, punitive damages where allowed, declaratory relief, and injunctive orders requiring the production of all incident-related photographs, recordings, and documents. They also request attorney’s fees, costs, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

Here is a copy of the complaint:

To provide context for this lawsuit here is a news article referencing the death of Ariana. She was found unresponsive at the bottom of a backyard swimming pool in Dallas, North Carolina, on May 25 / 26, 2024, while attending a sleep-over at a friend’s house. Alongside Ariana, another 6-year-old girl (her classmate) also died in that same pool incident. The official investigation by Gaston County Police Department (Gaston County, NC) concluded the death was an accidental drowning and no criminal charges were filed. Ariana’s family disputes that conclusion. More on the story.