A GOP state lawmaker who fled Texas on a private jet said he did so for his family after his house

[Ms. Toad]

11. This may change your mind.

All the children were removed from the home (and, unfortunately - from what I can find - returned). Here are some details.

https://www.houstonpress.com/news/a-fathers-retribution-6563698

Travis Gates arrived that Friday morning at Dickinson Elementary School, where he attends fourth grade, with a Ziploc bag full of empty Fig Newton wrappers stapled to his shirt and a note from Gary Gates explaining that Travis was to wear the bag all day, that he was not allowed to attend a school Valentine's Day party, that this was his punishment for stealing food.

Travis, who has an eating disorder that leads him to compulsively steal, hoard and binge on food, presumably related to "attachment" issues born of early neglect and fetal alcohol syndrome, had sneaked out of a window at home and back in another window into the kitchen, which is habitually locked at night to control the children's access. He took a bulk box of Fig Newtons back to his room and stuffed himself. A nanny discovered the wrappers hidden in the attic and told Gary.

The Gates children had told stories -- not entirely consistent in detail, but compellingly similar in gist -- of a household run by a disciplinarian who may have crossed the line. There were stories of ipecac syrup, "throw-up medicine," given to several children, and meals dosed with cayenne pepper as punishment. There were stories not just of hauling two-by-fours and bricks as discipline, but of spankings with a board. The children recounted having to do "wall sits" as punishment, sometimes with a 25-pound or 50-pound weight in their laps, sometimes for hours at a time. It was learned that several of the Gates children wet their beds, and that Gary and Melissa keep a chart downstairs on which these children must note in the mornings whether their diapers are dry. Children caught stealing food would have to miss the next meal. Several children spoke of Gary taping newspaper around their hands, or handcuffing them, to keep them from stealing food.