Ozark, MO — A Christian County courtroom became the scene of a heated legal battle on Monday, as attorneys delved into accusations against a Branson-area Christian summer camp. The camp is facing allegations of conspiring with an insurer to mislead a family into signing a nondisclosure agreement by hiding prior knowledge of sexual misconduct by its former camp director.
The legal strife, stemming from incidents at Kanakuk Ministries, escalated with a lawsuit filed in 2022 by survivor Logan Yandell. Yandell claims that deceiving statements from the camp’s CEO led his parents to unwittingly agree to a $250,000 settlement in December 2010, despite being poised to pursue further action.
Reed Martens, representing Yandell, argued before Judge Raymond Gross that considerable pressure was applied by Kanakuk’s CEO Joe White, a former family friend of the Yandells, to secure the settlement. According to Martens, during a 2009 exchange, the Yandells queried White about other abuse allegations against the camp director, Peter Newman, to which White reportedly denied any prior incidents.
An affidavit later surfaced, contradicting White’s assurances and indicating the camp had been aware of Newman’s inappropriate behavior as early as 1999. This revelation is central to the current lawsuit, which also names ACE American Insurance Company as a co-defendant, accused of playing a role in suppressing this crucial information.
In courtroom exchanges, it emerged that ACE might have been informed of abuse allegations before the questioned statement by White. White, however, maintained under oath that he had no prior discussions with ACE about the allegations.
The argument extended to the actions of ACE following the drafting of a letter by the camp, intended to inform 8,000 families about the situation with Newman. ACE allegedly advised against sending the letter and issued a reservation of rights letter, limiting its liability on related legal issues.
The unfolding legal drama also touched on issues of statutory limitations for fraud claims in Missouri, which allow for a claim to be brought within five years of discovering the fraud, with a ten-year period allowed for the discovery itself. Kanakuk’s attorney, Bryan Wade, pointed out that news reports and court cases regarding Newman had been public for over five years, potentially impacting the case under these limitations.
However, Martens countered, suggesting that the close personal relationship between the Yandells and White might exempt them from typical standards of diligence, as they were misled by someone with “superior knowledge of the facts.”
Another survivor of Newman’s abuse reportedly discussed the misconduct with White and Yandell years ago, Wade noted, emphasizing that in this legal pursuit, Logan Yandell stands as the plaintiff, not his parents.
The parents themselves uncovered the abuse allegations only in 2021, following a comprehensive national report that labeled the scandal surrounding Kanakuk as potentially the most severe involving a Christian organization.
With the trial scheduled for July 2025, Judge Gross indicated his intention to deliver a judgment by year-end, despite a heavy caseload, ensuring that the long path to resolution inches forward.
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