Mediation, trial set in Camp Warrior dispute

August 30, 2018

MONTICELLO, Fla. (WCTV) -- The owners of a Jefferson County summer camp are heading into mediation with the Florida Attorney General's Office over allegations that they took payments from parents and did not refund them when the camp abruptly closed.

Camp Warrior shut down in June. Camp owners cited flooding from Tropical Storm Alberto as the cause of the last-minute shutdown.

Parents were not only skeptical of the claim surrounding the closure, but many said that they had not been refunded for their payments. Dozens of complaints were soon filed with the Attorney General's Office.

The Attorney General then sued the camp and its owners, Derek Hart and Costa Vathis. In July, a judge agreed to freeze the assets of the owners.

A court order now sends the case to mediation. Should the two sides not be able to reach a settlement during mediation, a civil trial would be held in January.

We've reached out to Derek Hart for comment on these latest developments but have not heard back.