Cornyn Supports TREY’S Law to Safeguard Child Abuse Survivors’ Right to Tell Their Stories

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Cornyn Supports TREY’S Law to Safeguard Child Abuse Survivors’ Right to Tell Their Stories
Legislation Honors Late Texan Trey Carlock, Who Endured Abuse & Was Silenced by an NDA

March 12, 2026

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) yesterday cosponsored the Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements (TREY’S Law), which would void non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that silence survivors of child sexual abuse. The bill is named in honor of Dallas native Trey Carlock, who was silenced by an NDA after enduring a traumatizing civil litigation process against a Christian summer camp for children, Kanakuk Kamps, over abuse he endured by a former camp director.

“No survivor of child sexual abuse should be subjected to damaging NDAs that strip their First Amendment right to tell their stories and speak out about the heinous crimes they’ve endured,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Trey’s Law is a commonsense measure that would protect the voice of survivors and ensure full transparency in child abuse cases, and I applaud Trey’s family for turning this tragic loss into advocacy for other children.”

Background:

TREY’S Law voids any NDA provision that prevents a victim or anyone else with knowledge from disclosing sexual abuse of a minor. This legislation would:

Prevent the use of NDAs to silence survivors of child sexual abuse and trafficking;
Make any NDA provision unenforceable if it prohibits or restricts someone from disclosing the sexual abuse of a minor or facts related to that abuse;
And ensure these protections apply regardless of when the NDA was signed, whether before a dispute arose or as part of a civil settlement agreement.

The bill, introduced by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and also cosponsored by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Katie Britt (R-AL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH0, is named in honor of child abuse survivor Trey Carlock, a resident of Dallas, Texas, who was silenced by an NDA, was retraumatized by a civil litigation process against Kanakuk Kamps, and ultimately died by suicide at age 28. The litigation process was related to crimes committed by Pete Newman, a former director of Kanakuk Kamps, who was convicted of sexual abuse, and groomed and sexually abused Trey and others. In 2010, Newman was convicted on multiple counts of child sexual abuse involving at least 57 victims.

Trey was required to file civil litigation by the age of 23 due to Texas’ civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases at the time of his abuse, which became known publicly through a 2009 criminal investigation. Kanakuk’s settlements with “John Does” like Trey included restrictive NDAs that silenced victims and concealed what Kanakuk knew about the abuse.

Before he died by suicide, Trey told a therapist, “They will always control me, and I’ll never be free.” His story has inspired others to speak out about institutional abuse and advocate for NDA reform to prevent victims of childhood sexual abuse or trafficking from telling their stories.

This legislation is endorsed by the National Children’s Alliance, Protect Our Children, Tim Tebow Foundation, American Association for Justice, and Joyful Heart Foundation.