WORDS MATTER. AND HURT.
This audiotape and all information included herein comes from documents acquired through a California Public Records Act request (aka public records request). The Instagram photos were available through Daniel Hank Rainey’s public account. He has since changed his account to private.
We share the above audiotape because preventable deaths of children should be teachable moments for adults. Those responsible for Roxie’s death had a responsibility to honor her by imparting the truth about the circumstances. These teachable moments are critical for understanding how catastrophic but preventable outcomes can be avoided. Accountability is a core component of our foundation’s mission.
We would ordinarily refrain from sharing such information were it not a case where children are in harm’s way. Words matter, especially if they are used to eclipse the truth and eviscerate the innocent at all costs. But actions matter just as much. Parents who continue to send their children to Summerkids are sending them to an illegal camp that killed a child, covered up the facts and the circumstances and are therefore systematically misleading communities.
As previously mentioned, documents prove that Summerkids camp owners the Di Massa family and their counselors have misled the greater Los Angeles community about their roles in Roxie’s death. The Di Massa family has also continued to defy state agencies that determined the camp is and has been operating without the proper child care licensing. These are documented facts.
Sadly, the Di Massa family is not alone in its efforts to dishonor Roxie and disregard the truth about this preventable drowning. A few months after Roxie’s death, a homicide detective interviewed Alison Bell Rainey, mother of Summerkids counselor Hank Rainey and wife of Los Angeles Times writer Jim Rainey. Hank Rainey was Roxie’s “buddy counselor” and the one person actually in the pool with Roxie when she drowned. He admitted to failing to pay attention to Roxie. Also, according to a homicide report, he referred to Roxie as athletically incompetent.
Roxie was removed from life support on a Saturday, one day after she drowned. That same Saturday, Hank Rainey was out and about Pasadena actively Instagramming friends.
Only a couple weeks later, Hank Rainey proudly shared another Instagram post of his buddies and himself urinating on a well-known Silver Lake restaurant. Doing so is a misdemeanor.
This was no anomaly. For instance, Rainey’s Twitter account banner was a montage of his friends’ and his fake drivers licenses. Whether real or Photoshopped, the takeaway is the same. Why?
Rainey’s mother Alison told the detective she was frustrated that she had to apologize to her son who had to make his account private, even though her son proudly urinated on the restaurant. She said her son was the victim at the pool when Roxie died. She said she believes that her son’s role as a lifeguard was to be “the fun one in the pool,” not the person who should pay constant attention to vulnerable children. She said that it was “unfortunate” that Hank had to be in the pool with Roxie and the fact that Roxie had to be there in the first place.
Alison Bell Rainey actually laughs multiple times during the call. She also said that:
Her son and other “kids,” meaning counselors, in the pool were “trying to save the life of a little girl.” In fact, according to documents and audio from the homicide detectives, those counselors admitted to being distracted. This same documentation and audio proved that a counselor 30-45 feet outside of the pool saw Roxie “floating dead man,” meaning not one of the 4-5 counselors at the pool noticed Roxie floating dead.
Hank was not responsible for Roxie’s safety or her death. Yet, Hank was the lone lifeguard in the pool and was Roxie’s buddy counselor.
Hank was the victim who was being targeted. Roxie died on his watch due to his admitted neglect. (Bell Rainey said this twice.)
Hank was “totally blameless.” By stating this, Bell-Rainey effectively blamed the other counselors.
It was "bad luck" that Hank had to be there with “that girl.” Bell-Rainey is blaming Roxie for her own death.
Hank “wasn’t the one even watching.” By stating this, Bell-Rainey admits to her son’s neglect.
Bell Rainey also said we, the parents, essentially had unreasonable expectations of her son to watch Roxie.
This behavior should not be normalized. Our foundation will work tirelessly with adults to help them understand how words and actions matter, and how to understand our accountability and behavior during times of despair.