Our Response to Abuse and Child Safety

Tragically more than 12 years ago, one of our staff members was accused and convicted for abusing Kampers. We were devastated by the deceptive practices of this individual and continue to grieve with victims and their families. We’ve said it before, and we will say it again, we are forever sorry for the pain inflicted on victims and their families.

We desire to support victims and help them in their healing journey. Any victim can reach out to Kanakuk by emailing us at victimsupport@kanakuk.com or access several independent victim advocacy organizations such as ChildHelp.org or Rainn.org, who can provide access to local support services, reporting assistance, and educational resources.

We also recognize that an essential part of healing is the ability for victims to share their stories. We support this right and will not stand in the way of any who wishes to do so. We know now that we have added confusion and frustration when we have spoken on this topic. We were wrong in our understanding of the language of many of these agreements, and we failed to recognize the restrictions – both real and perceived – that many victims are under. We absolutely want to clarify this. We support the right of victims to share their story in pursuit of healing. Our stance is simple – every victim deserves the right to share in the pursuit of healing.

Additionally, in conversations with victims and their families, it has been devastating to learn that some of the things we have said in the past have been hurtful – that was never our intent. To the best of our ability, we desire to answer accurately, compassionately, and clearly, and support victims in their healing journey. Where we have failed in this effort, we are sincerely sorry. We are listening and will communicate more carefully.

We are humbled and grateful when we can have direct conversations. Joe White continues to seek out any opportunity to meet with victims and their families who will allow him the privilege to share his sincere sorrow and seek forgiveness and reconciliation. He has also provided an open letter to victims who do not prefer to meet face-to-face. [Letter From Joe White]

Following the events of 2009, Kanakuk has continued to work tirelessly to help ensure that this deeply deceptive and abusive behavior does not happen again. Our Kanakuk Child Protection Plan, which contains over 340 identifiable and measurable protective elements, is integrated throughout our organization and has been shared with more than 600 youth-serving organizations across the country.

Tools and Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

WHY HAS KANAKUK BEEN IN THE NEWS?

Since 1926, Kanakuk has provided an exciting adventure in Christian athletics to more than 500,000 Kampers and 50,000 staff. Tragically, we live in a broken, fallen world [Romans 3:23], and saw evidence of that when former Kanakuk employees violated the sacred trust that we and our camp families placed in them through actions that stand counter to our mission and values.

 

In 2009, former director Pete Newman was convicted for abusing children. He was a master of deception – fooling not only Kanakuk but also his friends, neighbors, and even his own family. As soon as Kanakuk became aware of abuse, we took action, including immediate termination and reporting him to authorities. We immediately began conversations with identified victims and their families and notified parents of current and former campers. Additionally, Kanakuk set out to elevate our safety practices, which resulted in the Kanakuk Child Protection Plan (the “CPP”).

 

In 2011, the CPP plan enabled Kanakuk to swiftly identify a second abuser, terminate his employment, report him, and coordinate with law enforcement. In both instances, Kanakuk fully supported the law enforcement investigation and prosecution of the abuser. Kanakuk will continue to apply and evaluate our safety practices to help keep Kamp safe and fun for all.

 

Over a decade later, in early Spring 2021, an anonymous Limited Liability Corporation (“LLC”) was created and it, along with several bloggers and authors launched a coordinated attack against Kanakuk. The goal of their efforts are still not clear, but their campaign of misinformation and defamation of Kanakuk and our amazing staff has been ongoing and unrelenting. They say they speak for all victims, ignorant of the fact that many victim families continue to support Kanakuk and in some cases, have chosen to work here. Rather, it appears this group is craftily hiding their identity while simultaneously leveraging the pain of victims to advance their agenda. Sadly, their tactics are in opposition to true healing; instead they appear intent on stirring old painful emotions and attempting to convince survivors that they have been deceived by Kanakuk.

 

Our desire is to support victims and help them in their healing journey. Any victim can reach out to Kanakuk by emailing us at victimsupport@kanakuk.com or access several independent victim advocacy organizations such as ChildHelp.org or Rainn.org who can provide access to local support services, reporting assistance, and educational resources.

 

In March 2021, an anonymously owned LLC created a website sharing so-called ‘Facts’ about Kanakuk. Represented by a law firm, this group has continued over the past year to post misstatements, carefully edited video content, misleading information, and defamatory statements while harassing campers, families and organizations who associate with Kanakuk. Ironically, their Contact page discloses that their information “is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.” Sadly, in today’s 24/7, monetized news industry, ‘copy-paste’ journalism allows for this type of misinformation to be spread quickly and without merit [Proverbs 17:4]. [Read Examples]

 

Ultimately, this allows legitimate advocacy organizations such as the NCOSE to depend on false information and make incorrect assessments. In March of 2022 the NCOSE shockingly included Kanakuk on its ‘Dirty Dozen List’, without the benefit of any direct conversation with us. This list places Kanakuk alongside such behemoths as Reddit, Google, Netflix, and Twitter (ironically, a platform the NCOSE uses) as “a mainstream entity for facilitating, enabling, and profiting from abuse and exploitation” – this is simply not true and defies any semblance of common sense. We have attempted to engage in constructive conversation with NCOSE [Read Kanakuk Letter to NCOSE] and will continue to explore opportunities to do so. Kanakuk continues to be transparent about the events that occurred over a decade ago and the steps we’ve taken to ensure such deceptive behavior doesn’t happen again. We believe that abuse of a child is deplorable and stands counter to our mission and Christian calling.

 

While there are still calls for Kanakuk to “release victims from NDA’s so that they can share their story”, and accusations that we are silencing victims, Kanakuk has made it clear that we absolutely support the right of victims to share their story in pursuit of their healing. Furthermore, Kanakuk continues to offer support to victims, including providing independent counseling if desired. Any victim can reach out to us at victimsupport@kanakuk.com or access several independent victim advocacy organizations such as ChildHelp.org or Rainn.org which can provide access to local support services, reporting assistance, and educational resources.

 

Our hope and prayers are for the restoration and healing of victims and their families, and we will continue to seek direct dialogue in pursuit of this. We want victims to know that their voices are heard and that we will never stop being sorry for the pain inflicted upon them by these perpetrators.

 

Regarding these other organizations, bloggers, authors, etc who continue to make baseless claims and defame Kanakuk, our employees, and friends – we are prepared to defend our people and this ministry against such a cancel-culture mentality. Further, we will not be surprised – and are also fully prepared – if future publicity stunts by these groups should include protests, lawsuits, podcasts or other efforts to gain media attention or disrupt our ministry operations. For them to pursue such actions would be unfortunate, but Kanakuk has been transparent and has nothing to hide, and the perpetrators have long since been imprisoned.

 

Despite these distractions, we remain focused on the ministry work that has been a light and beacon of hope and joy to generations of families for the past century. We look forward to the next century of building next-generation leaders.

WHAT ABOUT REPORTS OF MISCONDUCT BY PETE NEWMAN PRIOR TO 2009?

Pete Newman was a master of deception – fooling not only Kanakuk but also his friends, neighbors, and even his own family. As soon as Kanakuk became aware of abuse, we took action, including immediate termination, and subsequently reported him to authorities. Prior to this, no one on Kanakuk staff believed that Pete Newman was abusing or had abused kids.

 

Unfortunately, as often happens today, social media and online reporting have allowed myth to be presented as “facts.” Salacious statements and careful edits of leaked deposition videos generate clicks and website traffic, while logic is suspended, and critical questions are ignored.

 

The fact is that neither Joe nor Pete’s immediate supervisors would have ever allowed him to remain on staff if they suspected him of abusing kids.

 

The fact is that Pete was surrounded and supervised by honorable people who would have never placed profit over the safety of children – especially their own children.

 

The fact is that neither Joe nor Pete’s supervisors would have allowed Pete around their own kids unsupervised, much less in their own homes, if they suspected him of abusing kids.

 

The fact is that Kanakuk employees and families, along with Pete’s family, friends, and closest acquaintances, were deceived by him. Today, his former motives are clear to us all. Two decades ago, his deceit was masterful and successful.

 

Despite attempts to re-frame decades-old details to fit a modern narrative, Pete Newman was a rogue employee living a life of utter deception. As soon as Kanakuk became aware of abuse, we took action, including immediate termination and reporting him to authorities. Kanakuk also fully supported the law enforcement investigation and prosecution of the abuser Pete Newman.

WHY HAVE SOME FORMER EMPLOYEES SPOKEN OUT AGAINST KANAKUK?

The actions of Pete Newman are devastating to hear and stand counter to Kanakuk’s values and mission. They bear witness to the truth that while Christ came to save us from sin’s eternal consequences, sin is still with us and is deceptive, destructive, and evil. Our hearts grieve for all victims and their families (some of whom are current or former employees) and the pain they have endured. Sadly, many have been pulled into the deceptive and false narratives that are being spread.

 

While we may not agree with their statements, the truth is that Pete Newman was a deceptive man who fooled everyone around him – including his closest friends and family who knew him best. As soon as Kanakuk became aware of abuse, we took action, including immediate termination and subsequently reported him to authorities. Additionally, Kanakuk set out to elevate our safety practices, which resulted in the Kanakuk Child Protection Plan (the “CPP”) The CPP, which contains over 340 identifiable and measurable protective elements, is integrated throughout the Kanakuk organization and has been shared with more than 600 youth-serving organizations across the country.

WHAT ACTION WAS TAKEN WHEN ABUSE WAS REPORTED?

As soon as Kanakuk became aware of abuse, we took action, including immediate termination and subsequently reported the individual involved. We immediately began conversations with identified victims and their families and notified parents of current and former campers. Additionally, Kanakuk set out to elevate our safety practices, which resulted in the Kanakuk Child Protection Plan. Kanakuk also fully supported the law enforcement investigation and prosecution of the abuser. The investigation by law enforcement that resulted in the prosecution of Pete Newman did not result in any criminal or civil charges against Kanakuk leadership or staff.

There are many false narratives circulating online, particularly stemming from a website that purports to share “facts”. This site operates behind anonymity, and freely spreads defamatory statements and information taken out of context, while attacking anyone who supports Kanakuk. Claiming things like Kanakuk “continues to fail on basic safety practices and protocols” and stating that Kanakuk “..ignores other known perpetrators and their enablers, including those in leadership at Kanakuk to this day.” They distort the truth, promote false narratives, and harass individuals who oppose them. The true fact is that this group is not interested in anything more than furthering their agenda. They continue to twist the truth under the banner of sharing “facts”. Kanakuk will continue to support the right of victims to share their stories and will seek restoration and healing for victims through constructive dialogue (Matthew 18:15-17).

HAS THERE EVER BEEN AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED?

The events surrounding Pete Newman’s abuses were investigated by the Taney County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri Division of Family Services. Their lengthy investigation determined that no other Kanakuk employee or leadership member was aware of Mr. Newman’s illegal activities. Additionally, Joe White and Pete Newman’s former supervisors have provided sworn testimony that they did not learn of Mr. Newman’s illegal activities until March 2009, when Kanakuk took immediate action.

WAS THIS THE ONLY TIME THIS TYPE OF THING HAPPENED?

In 2011, a summer staff member acted inappropriately with campers. A camper immediately reported the suspicious actions of the staff member in accordance with our Child Protection Plan camper training. These actions were against Kanakuk policies, and the individual was immediately terminated, reported to authorities, and ultimately convicted of abusing campers. We are not aware of any other reports of abuse at Kanakuk.

There are many false narratives circulating online, including one that states “Kanakuk has employed other abusers.” The fact is that Kanakuk has employed over 50,000 full-time and summer staff over the past 96 years. Our hope is that every single one would leave Kanakuk with a desire to live the ‘I’m Third’ lifestyle, placing God first, others second, and themselves third. While we could never keep up with all of our alumni family, we know the vast majority of them have left Kanakuk and gone on to raise amazing families and serve their communities through careers in full-time ministry, law, medicine, science, civil service, teaching, military service, and professional sports.

WHAT HAS KANAKUK DONE SINCE THESE EVENTS?

Following the events of 2009, we created the Kanakuk Child Protection Plan (CPP). We’ve traveled the country openly sharing what happened here and the steps we’ve taken to help prevent this from occurring again. More than 600 organizations have been trained in the CPP to date. Our primary focus has been to ensure victims have the support they need to heal and recover, and we continue to work tirelessly to ensure this never happens again at Kanakuk. Our CPP is woven throughout the organization and impacts almost every aspect of our operations.

IS KANAKUK USING NDA’S TO SILENCE VICTIMS OF ABUSE?

We believe that victims of abuse should be free to share their stories in support of their healing. It is an essential part of the healing journey for many, and we support this right and will not stand in the way of any who wishes to do so. We realize that the complex language of settlement agreements may have silenced some victims. We also realize that we have added confusion and frustration when we have spoken on this topic. We were wrong in our understanding of the language of many of these agreements, and we failed to recognize the restrictions – both real and perceived – that many victims are under. For this, we are deeply regretful and apologetic. We absolutely want to clarify this. We support the right of victims to share their stories in pursuit of healing. Some victims have settlement agreements that involve insurance companies who may choose to defend their interests. While free to share their story, the specific terms of the settlement agreement must remain confidential.

WHY WAS KANAKUK PUT ON A LIST CALLED THE ‘DIRTY DOZEN’?

Kanakuk supports any organization that advocates for victims of sexual abuse; however, the decision of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) to include Kanakuk in a list of ‘Dirty Dozen’ without the benefit of verifying the information, including direct communication with Kanakuk, defies logic and is egregious.

Sadly, this represents yet another example of an organization with good intentions falling prey to false narratives so easily spread online and through social media. Shockingly, as a source of information, the NCOSE relied upon a website (run by an anonymous LLC) that claims to share “facts” but buries the following notice on their Contact page: “The material [on this website] is for informational purposes only and is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.”

Unfortunately, incomplete information on this anonymous website, coupled with inaccuracies reported by several authors and bloggers, have allowed the NCOSE to make the monumental leap from Kanakuk having reported an employee for abuse, to declaring Kanakuk as a mainstream entity for facilitating, enabling, and profiting from abuse and exploitation – this is simply not true. Kanakuk continues to be transparent about the events that occurred over a decade ago, and the steps we’ve taken to ensure such deceptive behavior doesn’t happen here again. We believe that abuse of a child is deplorable and stands counter to our mission and Christian calling. [Read Kanakuk Letter to NCOSE]

HOW DOES KANAKUK PROTECT THE SAFETY OF MY CHILD?

Kanakuk has been serving kids and families for more than 96 years. We’ve seen over 500,000 campers and more than 50,000 summer staff come through these gates, and our goal is to provide a healthy, positive, and welcoming summer home to generations of families. We rigorously follow our Kanakuk Child Protection Plan, and train our staff and employees on how to help prevent abuse. Our trained directors and staff are dedicated to facilitating fun activities and fostering a safe environment, whether your child joins us for one, two, or four weeks of fun. From protocols regarding slippery surfaces, inclement weather, and facilities safety to the prevention of abuse through Kanakuk’s 3 Rules and 6 Boundaries, the safety conversation with our staff begins in the interview process and is built into the fabric of who we are as an organization.

We are committed to our vision that today’s young adults are the Christian leaders of tomorrow, and we will continue to advocate for their safety as they grow in friendships, faith, and confidence. Every child’s safety is our No. 1 priority.