Choosing Truth Over Secrecy: Trey Carlock and the Moral Case for Trey’s Law

From the outside looking in, Raymon “Trey” Carlock enjoyed a happy and wholesome adolescence and academic/professional rise — but not everything is as it appears.

Studying at Cistercian Preparatory School and Highland Park High School in Dallas, Trey was an Eagle Scout and also studied in Greece, Switzerland and Zambia. He played tennis, football, lacrosse and ran cross country. He graduated with honors from Harding University in Arkansas.

But through many of those adventures and accomplishments, Trey was carrying a dark and evil burden. He began attending Kanakuk Kamp, a popular summer destination for thousands of young Christians, beginning at the age of seven. And during those ten years, Trey was sexually abused — repeatedly.

A serial sexual abuser named Pete Newman pleaded guilty in 2010 to not only abusing Trey, but many others. He was sentenced to two life sentences plus 30 years for his crimes.

Trey Carlock died by suicide in August of 2019. Family and friends have said the young man struggled for years navigating the emotional and spiritual heaviness of the crimes perpetrated against him. 

When pursuing justice via civil litigation, attorneys for Kanakuk asked Trey and other victims to sign “Non-Disclosure Agreements” or NDAs — legally binding confidentiality contracts design to prevent news of the crimes from getting out. Over the years, many organizations and institutions, including the Catholic Church, have used NDAs as a means to maintain secrecy regarding sensitive, controversial and damaging information.

Trey Carlock’s family has said the pain and anguish he was dealing with was only exacerbated by not being able to talk publicly about the crime.

NDAs are a staple in corporate America, regularly used to protect confidential or proprietary information, including intellectual property. Companies and organizations may also use them to avoid litigation or bad public relations. We’ve all read and seen news stories when a subject declines to talk or go into detail. In many cases, it’s because they’ve received compensation in exchange for their silence.

Understandably, there’s a rising chorus of people and individuals opposing the use of NDAs to silence victims of sexual abuse. This is the energy and origin behind “Trey’s Law” — a national movement designed to protect survivors’ voices and ban the use of these agreements in instances where organizations or businesses would prefer victims not publicly discuss what happened to them.

Spearheaded by Elizabeth Carlock Phillips, Trey’s sister, the group’s mission states:

Survivors of child sexual abuse and trafficking should never be silenced, anywhere. Through advocacy, education, and legislative action, we’re working to expand Trey’s Law in every state–ensuring survivors have the freedom to share their own stories, hold bad actors accountable, and prevent further harm. This is an urgent matter of public safety.

This is more than policy reform — it’s a promise to stand on the side of victims, not predators.

To date, four states — California, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas — have passed “Trey’s Law.” While other states have enacted versions of such bans for agreements going forward, what’s distinct about this effort is that the Trey’s legislation allows victims who have previously been silenced to now speak out. 

Focus on the Family strongly supports this effort. We grieve the abuse, evil and wickedness that victims of abuse have been forced to endure. The Apostle Paul wrote to believers in Ephesus that, “It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret” (5:12), but NDAs in this context do not serve or protect individuals or families. 

To be make informed decisions, moms and dads and children need to know what’s going on and where — especially when it comes to choosing a summer camp for their children.