It has defended itself against allegations of coverup from watchdog organizations, journalists (Vicewon an Emmy this year for its Kanakuk coverage), and groups such as Facts About Kanakuk, which collects survivor stories and advocates for victims to be released from non-disparagement agreements (NDAs). May 29, 2022 First Baptist Church in West Plains, Mo., has cut ties with Kanakuk Kamps near Branson because of the way it handled concerns about sexual abuse of campers. Lawsuits force people to be transparent and make real change, said Kent, a survivor of clergy sexual abuse whose firm, Laffey, Bucci & Kent, specializes in representing victims. On April 15, more than a month after Newmans confession, a caseworker contacted the Robert John Morgan, who had worked for Kanakuk owner White as a pilot, pleaded guilty in 2004 to sodomizing a young female relative. that is degrading to another person. Jones said she told a friend (who confirmed her account when contacted for this story) about the 1985 incident, as well as her counselor and a camp director. That camper, who did not want to be identified, said she reported the incident to Kanakuk leadership. He said the bill itself is unconstitutional and that is why he was testifying against the bill. Newmans initial arrest and sentencing received little media attention. Jones said her abuser was fired by Kanakuk, but law enforcement was not called even after her abuser admitted he had committed the crime. Threats of harming another Fusch said he stayed awake and when Green hand crept onto the bed again, I kept rolling around all night and avoiding him.. Some victims have opened up in recent news coverage and survivor testimonies; others revealed details in anonymous John Doe lawsuits. Contacted by a reporter on Aug. 26, 2021 and asked if he was fired from Kanakuk for abusing a child, Price did not answer the question. He was just drowned out by that.. It belongs to the Christian Camp and Conference Association. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. In the years before and after his arrest, six other men affiliated with Kanakuk have been convicted of sexual crimes involving children: Corbie Dale Grimes, a counselor who held a variety of Kanakuk jobsin the late 1970s and 1980s, was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for sexually abusing a boy in Texas in 1999. Another Kanakuk employee, Chuck Price, was fired in 1990, according to a victim, her mother and two former Kanakuk staff members who investigated separate complaints against him. Former Kanakuk counselor Michael Horn of Dallas, Texas said he was working at the camp in 2002 when he and his co-counselor witnessed a third counselor sleeping in a closed sleeping bag with a shirtless child straddling the counselors bare chest. I think he committed suicide, Fusch said. 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DocumentsKanakuk released during civil court proceedings show camp leaders were made aware of Newmans nudity with children and other inappropriate behavior on multiple occasions from 1999 until his confession in 2009. But in 2021, I saw video evidence that Kanakuk Kamps knew of Newmans predatory actions as far back at 1999, the year that I had met him, and they failed to act appropriately to protect myself and many other victims.. I am just as shocked as anyone. I have since learned you lied to me, Joe. A day later, Fusch told his parents, who alerted police and met with a Dallas detective who specialized in investigating sex crimes. However, while perhaps the most public case, Pete Newman was not the only predator at Kanakuk Kampanother employee was arrested in 2012 for abusing children as young as nineand the problems dont stop with the predators themselves. Kanakuk has several camps, and the one Pete was in charge of was always sold out. Our CPP is woven throughout the organization and impacts almost every aspect of our operations.. William French Anderson, a lauded scientist known as the father of gene therapy, attended Kanakuk as a child and volunteered there for decades, teaching self-defense to campers. Kanakuk survivor Evan Hoffpauir testifies before the Missouri House Judiciary Committee on a bill to extend the statute of limitations for survivors of child sex abuse to file civil actions against their abusers. It is imperative for organizations to implement and enforce robust systems, guidelines, training, and moderation in order to protect the children entrusted to their care. There was no I'm so sorry this happened to you. A new lawsuit has been filed against Kanakuk Kamps. This reality is especially egregious given Kanakuks response to initial signs and reports of Kanakuk staff inappropriately interacting with campers. But in 2021 and 2022, a yearslong reporting project by Nancy French has uncovered earlier evidence. On at least two occasions prior to Newmans confession, male counselors at Kanakuk were fired over alleged sexual touching. Pete was articulate. Im technically not allowed to tell a therapist, when thats what the settlement money was supposed to be used for. What their position is during the litigation will be telling as to whether or not their words are truly meaningful.. Survivors and family members of victims of sexual abuse at Kanakuk camps testified at a hearing before the Missouri House Judiciary Committee regarding a bill proposed by local state Rep. Brian Seitz to change laws to help survivors of childhood sexual assault. A string of lawsuits and subsequent quiet settlements have followed the camp organization since 1999 when Kanakuk employee Peter Newman allegedly began displaying inappropriate and concerning behavior with young campers such as swimming or riding ATVs while naked and holding one-on-one sleepovers., According to one lawsuit filed in 2011, Kanakuk failed or refused to investigate the private sleepovers or ask the boys involved whether Newman encouraged them to get naked or whether he touched them. They were unfamiliar with Joe White. Aggressive Representation for My perception was that Joe was camp first, victims second, said Neugebauer. Jessica Seitz of Missouri KidsFirst was the last to testify. Their accounts of being sexually abused by a trusted leader who cloaked nudity, masturbation, and molestation in camp fun and Christian teachings have slowly come to light more than a decade after serial abuser Pete Newman went to prison. As a 7th grader, I didnt even understand I was being abused. White is the second-generation leader of the nearly 100-year-old camp, which ranks among the top Christian summer camps in the country and has tallied over a half million campers in its history. I used to refer to him as a survivor, Phillips testified. For more than a decade, the camp has been under scrutiny for reports of sexual abuse. Kanakuk has failed children for decades.. This legislation is most serious, Rep. Seitz said in his testimony. It was during that Thanksgiving visit that Fusch said he woke one night and could tell that Green, who had been sleeping on an adjacent trundle bed, had been reaching into Fuschs underwear as he slept. Hes also an evangelical author and speaker who boasts an endorsement from James Dobson. The lack of concrete action and subsequent cover-up of the sexual abuse that happened regularly at Kanakuk Kamps led to unspeakable trauma for many survivors that could have been prevented. The explanation that I was given was that Kanakuks ministry to the counselors is just as important as their ministry to the campers, said Horn. We agree with that. "Joe (White)'s continued lack of transparency by not publicly admitting he knew of Newman's nudity when he did prolongs the pain and anger of Pete's victims," Cunningham said. Don't Threaten. It had been handled.. News4 Investigates: Family of abuse victim want answers from Kanakuk Kamps leadership Holly Thompson 5/27/2022. When it comes to sexual abuse with kids, crossing boundaries and violating policies, theres no place in the conversation for keeping [a perpetrator]. Over the years thousands of families have entrusted their childrens hearts, minds, and safety to Kanakuk Kamps. (In the letter, White told victims he and Kanakuk "will not object to you sharing your story with those who can support your healing. But, he added, becausemost agreements involve insurance companies who may choose to defend their interests, you should keep the terms of your settlement confidential.). The retroactivity of the legislation is particularly concerning because of how it impacts organizations that rely on the law, Essma said. As part of Joe Whites larger Kanakuk Ministries, the organization states that it not only operates our six overnight Christian sports camps, but also serves individuals through our outreach ministries, providing evangelism, spiritual training, food, health, education, and more. Both Kanakuk Kamps as an organization and Joe White as an individual have clearly benefitted as a result of a reputation built on Christian principles, family-friendly fun, and professionalism. Some promotional features for Kanakuk had testimonials featuring and praising Newman. Others under the agreements, including Logan Yandell, said they believed they couldnt even talk about their abuse in counseling and therapy. This article has been updated to reflect that Kanakuk is not a current member of ECFA. Nor was Newman alone. Your immediate and direct answer to me was I had no idea. This is believed to be the first abuse lawsuit to bring fraud allegations against the Branson, Missouri, camp. Instead he responded: I am busy doing the work of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, and that is all Im focusing on., More: It was just a thing at Kanakuk: Campers and staff say nudity was part of camp culture. He was one of the top faces of Kanakuk, perhaps only second to CEO and owner Joe White, who still runs the camp to this very day.. Pete Newman is currently serving his two life-plus 30 years sentences after having pled guilty to three counts of first-degree sodomy, three counts of second-degree sodomy, and two counts of enticement of a child. It was something I felt needed to be done, but it was awkward because I didnt want to go into detail. Usually people, after two or three years in college, they have other jobs.. The last summer [Grimes] was with us, he had been given an elevated job, a middle management job, if you will, where he takes 20 kids at a time out of the camp facility where they spend three days and two nights camping away from the big camp facility, Cooper said, according to a transcript of his 2002 testimony. The average age of disclosure is 52, Phillips said. Since 2010, victims including Yandell have settled out of court with Kanakuk. Thirteen years ago, one of those staff members, Pete Newman, was revealed to be a prolific child molester. The petition also states that despite having knowledge that Newman had engaged in inappropriate activities, including naked four-wheeling and private sleepovers with boys, Kanakuk allowed and encouraged Newman to continue his work as assistant camp director and to promote himself all across America as an expert on teenage sexual purity, according to the petition.. Kanakuk has previously stated that the camp acted immediately, that its leaders were tricked by a rogue employee and knew nothing of Newmans abuse prior to 2009, when he confessed and was arrested. Keith Dygert, another victim of Kanakuk abuse, called Seitzs bill a bill that would truly be a massive step forward in protecting the victims of sexual abuse in Missouri. Newman himself commented on the love and support and belief White had shown him in a handwritten letter after his confession. When I was younger and when things were harder, I had a contingency plan for how I planned [to die], he said. 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