Trump administration drops Biden’s ‘politically motivated lawfare’ against nation’s largest Christian university



President Donald Trump’s Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously last week to drop a Biden-era lawsuit against the nation’s largest Christian university.

In 2023, the FTC, under former President Joe Biden, accused Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, of “deceptive advertising and illegal telemarketing.” The administration’s Department of Education fined GCU $37.7 million, claiming that it was deceiving students about the cost of its doctoral programs to entice more to enroll.

'We view it as imprudent to continue expending Commission resources on a lost cause.'

The FTC further accused GCU of incorrectly claiming a nonprofit status and using “abusive telemarketing calls to try to boost enrollment.”

GCU rejected all of the FTC's allegations.

On Friday, Trump’s FTC voted 3-0 to dismiss the complaint.

A joint statement from the commission read, “This case, which we inherited from the previous administration, was filed nearly two years ago and has suffered losses in two motions to dismiss. These losses are compounded by recent events: Grand Canyon secured a victory over the Department of Education in a related matter before the Ninth Circuit; the Department of Education rescinded a massive fine levied on related grounds; and the Internal Revenue Service confirmed that Grand Canyon University is properly claiming 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation designation.”

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Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

The commission concluded that pursuing the case presented “very little upside relative to the cost.”

“We view it as imprudent to continue expending Commission resources on a lost cause. Because we have a duty to maximize consumers’ return on their tax dollars investment, we have decided against pursuing this matter any further,” the joint statement added.

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Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images

The school stated in a press release that the FTC’s recent decision to drop the case “fully exonerates GCU after years of politically motivated lawfare.”

Mueller said, “As we have stated from the beginning, not only were these accusations false, but the opposite is true.” He claimed that the Biden-era FTC lawsuit was not about protecting students but pointed to “a broader ideological agenda.”

“They threw everything they had at us for four years, and yet, despite every unjust accusation leveled against us, we have not only survived but have continued to thrive as a university,” he stated. “That is a testament, first and foremost, to the strength and dedication of our faculty, staff, students, and their families. Above all, it speaks to our unwavering belief that the truth would ultimately prevail.”

The FTC declined to comment.

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Ex-Christian school teacher accused of sexually assaulting female student, rearrested after allegedly contacting another teen



A former teacher at a Christian school in Alabama is accused of sexual misconduct with an underage female student, according to authorities. However, the ex-teacher had her bond revoked after she reportedly contacted another teen.

Sarah Huggins Logan — who was a teacher at the North River Christian Academy — allegedly had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl at the school.

'We have prayed for them and encouraged our entire school family to hold them up in their personal prayers.'

Citing charging documents, AL.com reported that the mother of an underage female student "found messages in her daughter’s phone that indicated there was a romantic and sexual relationship taking place between Logan and the victim."

The alleged victim told investigators that she and Logan had performed sex acts on each other in the bedroom of Logan's home in Buhl, according to charging documents.

Detectives with the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office conducted interviews and discovered evidence before obtaining arrest warrants for Logan.

Logan, 35, was arrested on July 18 and charged with one count of a school employee engaging in a sex act, according to AL.com.

Logan was released on a $5,000 bond on the day of her arrest, according to the sheriff's office. She was ordered not to have any contact with any minors except for her own children.

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Photo by halbergman via iStock / Getty Images

Logan was rearrested Tuesday.

Citing charging documents, AL.com reported that after Logan got out of jail, she set up a new social media account and sent a "friend request" to a 17-year-old. Authorities stated that the friend request violated the judge's order, and District Judge James Gentry subsequently revoked Logan's bond. She remained in jail Friday afternoon.

There could be more victims, and Logan could face more charges, according to Capt. Jack Kennedy, head of the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Violent Crimes Unit. The North River Christian Academy was cooperating with the investigation.

Logan was a teacher and volleyball coach at the North River Christian Academy, a school for grades pre-K through 12 that focuses on a "Christ-centered education and advancing His kingdom through Christian service."

RELATED: Ex-teacher accused of grooming, sexually abusing teen boy; mother rips suspect as 'sick, twisted, calculating sex offender'

School officials said they had been made aware last week of an allegation against Logan and "notified the appropriate state and local authorities."

The school said in a Facebook statement, "It should be self-evident to say that this incident is heart-rending for all involved. This includes especially the families directly impacted."

"We have prayed for them and encouraged our entire school family to hold them up in their personal prayers," the school added. "This situation is easy for no one; there are only degrees of difficulty."

The school vowed to "weather this storm."

The North River Christian Academy informed People magazine that Logan is no longer employed there and was "released" for a reason "unrelated to the arrest."

The Violent Crimes Unit of the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office urged any potential child sex abuse victims or anyone with information on the case to contact investigators at 205-464-8690.

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Ex-teacher accused of sex with student — months after her dad was accused of sexually abusing teens on same Christian campus



A former Texas teacher has been accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student — just months after her own father was arrested on the same campus for allegedly sexually abusing minors.

Brooke Martinez, 30, was arrested in Ellis County on April 10 and charged with an improper relationship between educator and student. Martinez posted bail and was released from custody.

The student alleged to have had a one-time sexual encounter with Martinez and that she also sent him nude images of herself, according to court documents.

Martinez had been a teacher at Still Creek Christian Academy in Brazos County.

The school is self-described as "dedicated to advancing a Christ-centered worldview that puts trust in God as the firm foundation for a meaningful and fulfilling life."

The school works with students from "crisis situations" between grades four through 12.

KBTX-TV reported that Martinez had an improper sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student in 2024.

Texas law prohibits school employees from engaging in "sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse with a person who is enrolled in a public or private primary or secondary school at which the employee works ... regardless of the age of that person."

A student at the school allegedly informed a school staff member about the illicit relationship with a teacher.

The student alleged to have had a one-time sexual encounter with Martinez and that she also sent him nude images of herself, according to court documents.

The school staff member informed the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office of the allegations.

Investigators interviewed Martinez in April, and she reportedly admitted to the relationship, according to court documents.

Officials with Still Creek Christian Academy said in a statement, "We are heartbroken and disappointed over the allegations of an encounter involving a former teacher. The alleged behavior does not align with the high standards we expect of our teachers, who are tasked with creating a protective, nurturing environment for the students in our charge."

Immediately after the accusations were revealed, Still Creek Christian Academy filed reports with the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The school is continuing to assist in the investigation.

Martinez allegedly "separated" from the school earlier this year, according to Still Creek Christian Academy.

KBTX reported that Martinez’s father was arrested in February on child sex crime charges at the same campus where his daughter taught.

KBTX reported that 57-year-old John Edward Martinez was arrested Feb. 7 and charged with three counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact.

While Brooke Martinez was a teacher at Still Creek Christian Academy, her father reportedly worked as a "house parent" on Still Creek Ranch, which is part of the 200-acre campus.

Still Creek Ranch also houses children from "crisis situations" and works to foster "a specific way to restore children, raising adults who have healthy relationships, are self-sufficient, and seek God in all they do."

Deputies with the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Martinez, who allegedly admitted to investigators that he violated several rules at Still Creek Ranch beginning in March 2024. Martinez allegedly acknowledged his behavior was "grooming" and against the rules of his employer but maintained that he did nothing illegal.

However, a teenager under the age of 18 who was in Martinez’s care told police he groped her under her clothes, according to court documents.

A second teen allegedly told investigators that the house parent would pay her to give him massages.

KBTX reported, "Deputies say the teen told them she was scared to say no to Martinez because when she did, he would get mad at her, and she’d start getting in trouble for things Martinez normally allowed."

Still Creek Ranch said of the accusations, "We were deeply saddened to learn about the alleged behavior involving one of our former house parents. It is our primary responsibility to provide a safe haven for the children in our care. We have zero tolerance for any behavior that violates our child safety policy."

Still Creek Ranch officials notified law enforcement and child protective services once the child sex abuse allegations surfaced.

Still Creek Ranch terminated John Edward Martinez.

You can watch a local newscast from KBTX regarding the disturbing allegations against the father and daughter here.

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2 former Christian school teachers accused of sexually abusing same student; lawyer warns of more victims, more suspects



Two former private Christian school teachers in Georgia are facing multiple felony charges in connection with accusations that they both had illicit relationships with the same student.

Bonnie Elizabeth Brown — a 25-year-old ex-teacher from White Plains — was arrested Friday and charged with improper sexual contact by an employee, agent, or foster parent.

'My school did not protect me as a child.'

The Athens Banner-Herald reported that "Brown, a graduate of Nathanael Greene Academy and the school’s 2016 homecoming queen, has been released from jail on a $50,000 bond."

Sherri Delle Mauldin — a 60-year-old from Buckhead — was arrested Monday and charged with statutory rape, aggravated child molestation, and improper sexual contact by an employee, agent, or foster parent.

Both suspects were booked at the Greene County Sheriff’s Office Jail.

The suspects formerly worked at the Nathanael Greene Academy, which is roughly 90 miles southeast of Atlanta. The school teaches kindergarteners through 12th-graders. According to U.S. News & World Report, the school has a student population of 85; the tuition allegedly is as much as $6,350.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement, "On June 14, 2024, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to investigate allegations of sexual contact between a student and a former Nathanael Greene Academy teacher in Siloam, Georgia."

The GBI declared that the investigation "confirmed" that Brown engaged in illegal sexual contact with a student when she was a teacher at the Nathanael Greene Academy.

At the time of her arrest, Brown was a teacher at a primary school in neighboring Wilkes County.

The GBI investigation into Mauldin revealed that the former Nathanael Greene Academy teacher engaged in improper sexual contact with a student.

The GBI noted that the investigation remains active and ongoing.

'These women took advantage of their positions as my teachers.'

The alleged victim's lawyer, Ashley Mitchell, told the Banner-Herald that the sex abuse happened both on and off campus.

The paper reported, "The two former teachers charged recently with having sexual relations with a student at a private Christian school in Greene County allegedly knew that each other was involved with the same student, a lawyer for the victim said Tuesday."

The lawyer said other students at the school exposed the alleged teacher sex scandal.

“There were students who had knowledge,” Mitchell stated. “There was a situation where students were reporting it to their family, and it eventually made its way to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.”

Greene County Sheriff Donnie Harrison on Monday said that upon receiving the complaint, he forwarded it to the GBI.

Mitchell said complaints were provided to the school administration.

“Their claim is they investigated it and found no wrongdoing," Mitchell said of the Nathanael Greene Academy administrators.

Mitchell added, "The GBI and law enforcement have done a thorough and diligent job. None of this was a hasty process."

Mitchell alleged that school officials previously cited one of the teachers for inappropriate conduct with the student but did not name which teacher.

Mitchell hinted that there could be more victims as well as more suspects.

“There is information to suggest that potentially other teachers may have been involved with other victims,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell added, "It’s the classic case of predators having access to children and not much oversight."

The anonymous accuser said in a statement obtained by WXIA-TV: "I'm relieved that these two women have been arrested, and the crimes are being fully investigated."

"These women took advantage of their positions as my teachers. My school did not protect me as a child," the alleged victim said. "I see that now, and I hope that these arrests will protect our community and children in it."

On Monday, Wilkes County Schools said in a statement that school officials were not aware of Brown’s arrest until after she was taken into custody. The school system confirmed that the school as of Monday no longer employed Brown.

The Wilkes County School System said that it is "fully prepared to cooperate" with the GBI in its investigation into the child sex abuse allegations.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Greene County Sheriff’s Office at 706-453-3351 or the GBI regional investigative office in Milledgeville at 478-445-4173.

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15-year-old girl named as shooter who killed at least 2 at Christian school, police say



Police said Natalie Rupnow, a 15-year-old girl, was the shooter who killed at least two people Monday at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, the New York Times reported.

Police added that Rupnow died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Times said. Police said the suspect — who was a student at the school — used a 9mm gun, and police were working to trace the gun, WBBM-TV reported.

'But the trauma — it's a lot, because I'm sure they lost friends and a teacher, which is not OK. And I don't think they will be OK for a long time ...'

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said the the shooter, who went by “Samantha,” opened fire in a study hall that included students from several grades, the paper said. The school serves students from grades K through 12.

A teacher and a teenage student were killed, and five students and another teacher were injured, authorities told the paper.

Two of the students with life-threatening injuries were in critical condition at a hospital, Barnes told the Times. Three students and a teacher were hospitalized with less serious injuries, and two of them have been discharged, he added to the paper.

Barnes said a second-grade student called 911 just before 11 a.m. to report the shooting, WBBM reported.

Barnes told the Times it appears there was only one shooter and that investigators searched the suspect’s home in Madison and spoke to her family members, who were cooperating. The chief didn't describe a motive, the paper said, adding that he noted that investigators were still trying to find out more information.

More from the Times:

Young women are much less likely to be suspects in school shootings. This year, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, nine shooting suspects were female compared to 249 who were male when gender was identified.

Abundant Life often served as a kind of refuge for children who had been bullied or struggled at other schools, because the staff were quick to put a stop to cruelty, said Rebekah Smith, 50, whose teenage daughter was in a physics class down the hall from where the shooting occurred.

Ms. Smith said that members of the school community believed that the shooter was new to the private school this year and was among those who came in need of a life change. The school’s student population has grown dramatically since the pandemic, she said.

All surviving students were reunited with their loved ones in the hours after the shooting, officials told WBBM.

Students are escorted from a church next to the Abundant Life Christian School, Dec. 16, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin.Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

The station said Mireille Jean-Charles — a mother of three boys who attend Abundant Life Christian School — spoke to WISC-TV in Madison: "It's sad, you know, to be home and then somebody calls you and says your kids' school [is] in lockdown — and you don't know where they are. And I was there since 11. I finally got them, and thank God they were safe. But the trauma — it's a lot, because I'm sure they lost friends and a teacher, which is not OK. And I don't think they will be OK for a long time, and I'm not."

You can view a video report here about the shooting.

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'Complete vindication': Woke school district learns a hard lesson about 'discriminating' against a Christian university



Arizona's largest elementary school district has shifted course, voting to allow students from a Christian university to teach there once again, Alliance Defending Freedom announced Thursday.

"This is a complete vindication of the rights of our students to be able to participate as student-teachers in a public school district without fear of religious discrimination" said Arizona Christian University President Len Munsil in a statement.

The Washington Elementary School District voted 5-0 March 9 to end an arrangement in which ACU students completed their student teaching and practical coursework at WESD, as TheBlaze reported. Board members at the time cited ACU's stance on lifelong, monogamous, heterosexual marriage as presenting an "unsafe" condition.

After Alliance Defending Freedom sued WESD, the board apparently saw the error of its ways, with four of its five members voting at Wednesday night's meeting to enter a new agreement with ACU. The district was slapped with $25,000 in attorneys' fees as part of the settlement.

Wearing cat ears to a February 23 WESD meeting, board member Tamillia Valenzuela expressed her opposition to ACU students helping mitigate the national teaching shortage and recruitment difficulties.

"At some point, we need get real with ourselves and take a look at who we're making legal contracts with and the message that is sending to our community. Because that makes me feel like I could not be safe in this school district," Valenzuela said.

Valenzuela was referring to ACU's promotion of "Biblically-informed values that are foundational to Western civilization, including the centrality of family, traditional sexual morality, and lifelong marriage between one man and one woman."

Another WESD board member, Kyle Clayton, alleged at the February meeting that "proselytizing is embedded into how they teach."

"There are plenty of Christian denominations that are LGBTQ friendly," Governing Board President Nikkie Gomez-Whaley said prior to ADF's lawsuit, adding that for her, "this is not a concern about Christianity."

One lawsuit and two months later, WESD is singing a markely different tune.

"We obtained everything we wanted in this new agreement, without any sacrifice or compromise to our beliefs and our university’s religious purpose. We look forward to a continued beneficial partnership that serves ACU student-teachers and the students, faculty, and staff of the WESD," ACU President Munsil also said.

"By discriminating against Arizona Christian University and denying it an opportunity to participate in the student-teacher program because of its religious status and beliefs, the school district was in blatant violation of the U.S. Constitution, not to mention state law that protects ACU’s religious freedom," said ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman.

WESD released a statement to KNXV-TV on having "mutually agreed to resolve their dispute."

"We are pleased that the case against the WESD has been dismissed. We look forward to continuing the work of creating welcoming and accessible education spaces that meet the needs of our students, staff, and community," Governing Board President Nikkie Gomez-Whaley said in the statement.

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Nashville Christian school shooter's writings 'now being reviewed for public release'



The writings of the person who perpetrated a shooting at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, last month are under review for public release, Metro Nashville Police Department's public information office noted, according to fox17.com

"The investigation has advanced to the point that writings from the Covenant shooter are now being reviewed for public release. That process is underway and will take a little time," the MNPD public information office noted, according to the outlet.

A 28-year-old shooter carried out the March 27 attack at the Covenant School, killing three children and three adults. The perpetrator was fatally shot by law enforcement.

"The Covenant shooting was a tragedy beyond comprehension, & Tennesseans need clarity," Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) tweeted. "We've been in touch with the Nashville Police Department, & today, Chief Drake assured me that documents & information regarding the shooter will be released to the public very soon."

\u201cThe Covenant shooting was a tragedy beyond comprehension, & Tennesseans need clarity. \n\nWe\u2019ve been in touch with the Nashville Police Department, & today, Chief Drake assured me that documents & information regarding the shooter will be released to the public very soon.\u201d
— Gov. Bill Lee (@Gov. Bill Lee) 1682644542

MNPD reported in early April that the investigation indicated the shooter had "fired a total of 152 rounds (126 5.56 rifle rounds and 26 nine millimeter rounds) from the time she shot her way into the school until she was killed by police."

MNPD also noted in that early April press release that the shooter had "documented, in journals, her planning over a period of months to commit mass murder at The Covenant School" but that the individual's motive had not been determined.

"The writings remain under careful review by the MNPD and the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia," the release stated, noting that the motive was "under investigation by the Homicide Unit in consultation with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit" and that it was known that the perpetrator had "considered the actions of other mass murderers."

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Nashville shooter planned for 'months to commit mass murder at the Covenant School': Police



The motive of the 28-year-old attacker who opened fire at a Christian school last week on March 27 has still not been established, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

The shooting perpetrated at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, left six dead, including three children and three adults.

An April 3 police press release noted that the shooter had planned the attack for months.

"In the collective writings by [the shooter] found in her vehicle in the school parking lot, and others later found in the bedroom of her home, she documented, in journals, her planning over a period of months to commit mass murder at The Covenant School," the press release noted.

While the investigation update said that it seems the perpetrator "acted totally alone," the press release also stated that, "It is known that [the killer] considered the actions of other mass murderers." The individual's motive "has not been established and remains under investigation by the Homicide Unit in consultation with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit," the press release noted.

The perpetrator, who unloaded a whopping 152 rounds during the deadly attack, was fatally shot by law enforcement.

The shooter "fired a total of 152 rounds (126 5.56 rifle rounds and 26 nine millimeter rounds) from the time she shot her way into the school until she was killed by police," the release notes. "Officer Rex Engelbert discharged a total of four 5.56 rounds from his rifle; Officer Michael Collazo discharged a total of four rounds from his department-issued nine millimeter pistol."

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