Central Texas family blames Fort Hood Housing for years of illness, prepares for court hearing

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - A Central Texas family claims Fort Hood housing is to blame for years of mental and physical health challenges.

Now, the family is about to head to court where they are hopeful for a settlement.

It was 2019 when John Kelley was relocated to Fort Hood. He set off for Texas with his wife and young daughter, and was hopeful and ready to serve.

His hope quickly diminished when his family arrived to the on-post housing.

“When we first moved in, things just started happening and we got sick immediately. My daughter lifted up the rug and revealed asbestos underneath it,” Lily Kelley, John’s wife, said.

She said they discovered mold in places where mold shouldn’t be, and made complaints about their findings.

“Everywhere. I checked behind the furniture, looking in the closets. I open our HVAC closet and it is just caked in mold,” she explains.

The lawsuit states that the family placed five work orders, which were largely ignored. Lily said it took her alerting a three-star general’s wife before housing would respond to their complaints.

That’s when Lily said a crew came out to run air tests where a high level mycotoxins were found in the master bathroom, bedroom and HVAC return wall.

Regarding the asbestos under the rug, Lily says she was told to leave it alone and it wouldn’t be a problem, which is also detailed in the lawsuit.

“That means these spores were blowing through the entirety of the house,” she says.

The family said they were then moved to another house.

The lawsuit alleges Fort Hood Family Housing prompted remediation of the home after the results of the air tests. The Kelleys said the second house was just as bad as the first.

“We couldn’t bring anything with us because it was toxic but they moved us to a house that was even more toxic. There was blood on the mattresses, the silverware was caked in food, and mold was still growing everywhere,” she explained.

And then, they moved again. This time, off-post altogether. They say it was for their health and sanity. They lived on-post for less than a year.

The lawsuit states that Lend Lease was responsible for bringing their items from post to their new home in Copperas Cove, where workers assured the Kelleys everything was clean and remediated.

But when they started to unpack their boxes.

“John’s dress blues were caked in mold. The one thing he is supposed to be proud of,” she says.

Lily says it was after them moving off-post, that she got an MRI of her brain where demyelination was found. Demyelination is when the protective coating around your nerves get damaged, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

It can be caused by a number of things, although some causes are still unknown and are being researched but it has been seen to be caused by things like autoimmune disorders, infections, trauma or toxins.

She says she can take medication and rehab therapy but it can’t be reversed.

And then, Lily got pregnant with twins. One of her twins was in the NICU with RSV as a preemie and when they finally got to bring her home, the baby immediately got sick again.

“I started getting her dressed and I went through my older daughter’s clothes and I thought it was safe and I pulled out a dress,” she says behind tears. “But I didn’t see the mold on it. I didn’t see the mold on it and that almost killed her. Like it was immediate. Her little chest was just sinking in, her little throat was struggling. It was immediate. And I was so mad.”

John will soon be exiting the military and they are working to find their way forward but Lily says they will continue to be haunted by the damage done here.

“My prognosis is fair, my doctors don’t know how to treat me and I’m only 29. I have three kids,” she says.

PLAINTIFF’S COMPLAINT:

Which brings us to one of their glimmers of hope. The lawsuit.

Ryan Reed represents the family and he says the Kelley’s are one of more than 100 families with similar claims.

“I was asked to represent numerous clients who were experiencing everything from bug infestations to persistent water issues and mold growing throughout the home,” Reed explains.

And after years, the Kelley’s say they are finally at the step where they will get to sit down and detail their excruciating existence to a court.

“We have been fighting through a process to work out either arbitrating the claims like the Kelley’s or get these families a settlement,” Reed says.

In a response to the lawsuit from the Defendant, i.e. Fort Hood Family Housing, they request the court dismiss the lawsuit as the Plaintiffs’ complaints are hollow.

MOTION TO DISMISS:

The Kelley’s say money will not reverse the damage caused but it will help them get back on their feet and finally close this chapter.

“It has been us fighting this for five and a half years now,” she says.

KWTX reached out to both Fort Hood and Fort Hood Family Housing for comment.

Colonel Mark R. McClellan, Fort Hood Garrison Commander with Fort Hood said:

“The family you referenced no longer lives on the installation and is currently involved in ongoing litigation, so it would be inappropriate for us to provide a comment at this time. The safety and well-being of our Soldiers and families remain a top priority at Fort Hood. I strongly encourage all residents to report health and safety concerns immediately and take advantage of all available resources.”

The statement from Fort Hood Family Housing is as follows:

“We remain committed to creating outstanding, caring communities where people live, work and thrive, and we are proud to serve thousands of military families at Fort Hood. All concerns regarding housing conditions are addressed with the utmost care and urgency.”

“The family referenced no longer resides at Fort Hood and is involved in ongoing litigation; therefore, we will not provide further comment.”

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