Lighthouse for the Blind at 912 W. Broadway Ave. on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026 in Fort Worth.
Abigail Dollins
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Employees at the Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth expressed more anger with the nonprofit organization’s leadership in recent days, saying workers have had their hours — and paychecks — cut in half amid a production slowdown due to a decline in sales.
A Star-Telegram report last month outlined accusations leveled against Platt Allen, the Lighthouse’s president and CEO. More than a dozen current and former Lighthouse employees said Allen was largely an absentee boss who, among other things, hadn’t done enough to address facility and safety concerns.
Allen, however, said the Lighthouse had flourished under his leadership, and that those alleging mismanagement were merely disgruntled.
In addition to providing social services for the blind, the Lighthouse provides employment for blind and visually impaired workers who produce products such as padded boxes and office supplies, which are sold to generate revenue for the organization.
But production line workers say they’ve only been coming in two days a week since early September because sales are down.
Typically, the Lighthouse is open Monday through Thursday, with production employees working nine hours a day, 36 hours a week. Since the week of Sept. 7, though, employees have been working alternating days, averaging 18 hours a week, according to Lighthouse workers who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation.
One of those employees said workers were given the choice to use vacation time or personal days to make up for the lost hours. Those who didn’t have been paid only for the hours they worked.
This isn’t the first production slowdown that resulted in reduced hours, one employee said, but this one has lasted longer than past slowdowns. The employees who spoke with the Star-Telegram about the slowdowns viewed them as unfair, since those working on the production line have no control over sales fluctuations.
During a phone interview in August, CEO Allen acknowledged that the Lighthouse’s business was cyclical, especially since many of their products are sold to government agencies, meaning demand fluctuates with federal funding.
“Production typically slows toward the end of the state and federal fiscal years, and that’s what we’re seeing now,” Allen wrote in a statement to the Star-Telegram on Friday. “We have standing contracts with the Defense Logistics Agency, the General Services Administration and the State of Texas that help protect our jobs, but they don’t guarantee minimum purchases, so our volume depends on when those agencies place orders.”
Allen said production is expected to increase “through mid-November,” but the Lighthouse has implemented the rotating schedule for now in part to avoid layoffs.
“We know how hard this is on our employees, and our sales team is working hard to bring in additional business so everyone can return to a full schedule as soon as possible.”
Further frustrating employees this week is the fact that water leaked into the Lighthouse offices during Thursday’s rainstorm. A portion of the roof collapsed in April 2025 during a period of heavy rain, endangering lives, according to current and former Lighthouse employees.
The roof situation was a major point of contention when employees spoke out about Allen in last month’s report. According to records provided to the Star-Telegram, Allen and other Lighthouse leaders knew the roof was in need of repair two years before the collapse. Allen, though, said the leadership team didn’t know about the structural failings that contributed to the collapse.
In his statement on Friday, Allen said the leaks aren’t related to the roof collapse. He attributed the collapse to a decision made prior to his arrival to remove a structural member that supported the roof. Repairs done since then addressed the damage from the collapse, but the entire roof has not been replaced, Allen said.
“The rest of the roof is old and has age-related leaks,” said Allen, adding that the Lighthouse has sought funding to replace the roof in its entirety. That effort is ongoing, Allen said.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Matt Adams is a news reporter covering Fort Worth, Tarrant County and surrounding areas. He previously wrote about aviation and travel and enjoys a good weekend road trip. Matt joined the Star-Telegram in January 2025.