KANSAS CITY, MO — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Kanakuk survivor who claims the CEO of the Christian camp lied about his knowledge of camp counselor Pete Newman's abuse.
In 2010, a court sentenced Newman to two life sentences, plus 30 years, for sexually abusing six boys at the camp.
Logan Yandell, from Tennessee, later confided to his father as a teenager he too was sexually abused by Newman.
The Yandell family, who had a close relationship with Joe White, the camp's CEO, said they asked White if he had any indication Newman behaved inappropriately with children.
They said White denied any indication something was wrong, saying, "Nothing has ever been on our radar with Pete."
The Yandell family reached a settlement with Kanakuk and signed a non-disclosure agreement.
Through later reports, the Yandell family said they learned White was aware Newman had engaged in inappropriate behavior with children as far back as 2003.
The family said White lied to them in order to convince them to sign into the settlement.
According to the Yandell family, they would not have settled if they knew White had knowledge of Newman's behavior.
In 2022, Logan Yandell filed a lawsuit alleging fraud and civil conspiracy against Kanakuk Ministries, Kanauk Heritage Inc., Joe White and the summer camps' insurance company.
Christian County Judge Raymond Gross ruled Yandell's claims were "time-barred," which means they occurred after the statute of limitations had passed.
Gross dismissed the case saying the Yandell family had, "ready and easy access to contradictory information about Pete Newman's misconduct and Kanakuk's knowledge thereof prior to reaching a settlement in late 2010."
The judge states there was a 2010 media report that Kanakuk was aware Newman behaved inappropriately with kids back in 2003.
Yandell's attorney issued the following statement:
With all due respect to the Court, we disagree with the findings. There has been no dispute that Logan was abused, that Joe White lied to his parents, inducing the settlement they agreed to, or that ACE insurance sent the letter threatening to deny coverage if Kanakuk told the truth to thousands of families. We intend to seek appropriate relief through the court of appeals and continue fighting on Logan’s behalf.
A Kanakuk spokesperson also issued the following statement:
The recent decision by the court is bittersweet. Kanakuk is relieved by the outcome, but we remain devastated by the pain endured by victims of Pete Newman’s heinous crimes. Throughout this process, we have maintained our commitment to transparency and truth, and our support for the right of all victims to share their story in pursuit of healing. Our focus has always been - and will continue to be - on supporting victims’ healing and ensuring the safety of every child in our care. From here, we remain committed to our mission of equipping next generation Christian leaders by positively impacting lives through our summer camp programs, with safety as our highest priority.