Thread by @NancyAFrench

I just finished #ShinyHappyPeopleDoc and am grieved over the obvious parallels to @Kanakuk.

Camp CEO Joe White wrote that he was spiritually inspired by a 1974 Gothard conference in Tulsa. I guess it's not surprising that Kanakuk and Gothard share similar abusive tactics. /1

Both Gothard & White used marriage as a prophylactic against criticism. Just as Gothard suggested his abusive brother could be shielded from suspicion if he married, @Kanakuk also believed super-predator Pete Newman’s pedophilic behavior could be stemmed by marriage. /2

After @Kanakuk received complaints about Newman’s nudity with children, the camp established temporary boundaries that would be reconsidered after he got married.

(As if a pedophile can be 'cured' by even more rules + matrimony.) /3

Years later, @Kanakuk CEO Joe White characterized Newman's wife as the “initial layer of accountability” against abuse.

(Again putting the responsibility to curtail a man's sexual desire on the woman.) /4

Both Gothard and @Kanakuk's White traveled in style in private jets, but White's pilot turned out to be a rapist.

In 2000, White's pilot Robert John Morgan admitted to raping his own daughter (she was also a Kanakuk camper). /5

Though the pilot admitted to sodomizing his own daughter (beginning at age 5), White gave the rapist housing at @Kanakuk during the off-season while awaiting trial. /6

In court, White asked the judge NOT to imprison the pilot, saying 'rehabilitation on this side of prison walls is much more healthy for him than rehabilitation behind prison walls.'

White said he'd 'trust [Morgan] around my daughters.'

The judge sentenced Morgan to 10 years. /7

Both Gothard and White encouraged women to stay married no matter what.

Morgan’s wife said White encouraged marriage counseling with Gary Smalley – a friend of Gothard’s and Midwest Director of Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) - even tho her husband raped her kid. /8

But Kanakuk had other predators, like Pete Newman.

His wife was concerned over 'hot tub Bible studies.' (Sounds bad/was bad - her husband was secretly sodomizing/ejaculating kids).

In spite of concern, White praised Newman's chapel talk bragging about 'hot tub' studies.' /9

Both Gothard and White called whistleblowers 'agents of Satan.'

Toby Neugebauer was the first to demand super predator Newman face consequences for his abuse. Neugebauer said White was doing “the devil’s bidding.” /10
thedispatch.com/article/new-wi…

Both Gothard/White promoted 'purity culture' - a petri dish of abuse - in order to assure well-meaning parents their kids would be 'protected from the world.'

But the parents didn't realize their kids needed protection from the Christian leaders. /11
news-leader.com/story/news/loc…

When the parents sent their kids to camp, they didn't realize the kids could not communicate with them - except through hand-writtten letters the counselors were instructed to monitor to prevent criticism (even suicide threats) from reaching home. /12

They were right to worry about suicide. This young Dallas man died via suicide after his horrific abuse at @Kanakuk. I've been told of several other deaths as well. /13

Lastly, Gothard, the Duggars, and @Kanakuk characterized all well-intentioned people who revealed abuse as 'far left'/cancel culture warriors instead of truth tellers. They portrayed these people as 'fake news' attempting to attacked Christianity - not protectors of kids. /14

The spin worked, at least for a time. But truth has a way of surfacing.

The tendrils of Gothard and @Kanakuk are long and extend into many areas of the church and Christian celebrity culture.

We must note these similarities...

in order to fight against them. 😭😭😭 /15

Unlike Gothard's empire, @Kanakuk still thrives. Nobody resigned as a result of the failure to stop a decade of abuse. There was no disciplinary action against any of Newman’s supervisors, and Joe White is still the head of the camp today. 25,000 kids will attend this summer. /16

Read more: /17 thedispatch.com/newsletter/fre…

And more: /18 news-leader.com/story/news/loc…

And more, featuring a more recent incident: /19 news-leader.com/story/news/loc…

And more. /20 usatoday.com/story/news/inv…