Christian school founder sued for $150K donation after he is arrested for touching children, failing to build new school
A man who donated $150,000 to the founder of a Christian school in Kansas has filed a lawsuit to get his money back after the founder failed to build the school and got arrested for unlawful touching of underage children.
The Kansas City Star reported last August that Dennis Creason, 48, the co-founder of the Oaklawn Christian School in Shawnee, was charged in Johnson County District Court with nine counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child between January 2015 and August 2018.
Joseph Layne, according to a recent Star report, filed a lawsuit against Oakland Christian School, Creason, and his wife Robin who are the founders of the school, in a bid to get back his donation.
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It was noted that Layne was a member of an unnamed church when Dennis Creason asked him in June 2017 to donate money to help construct a new building for the school. Layne agreed to help and donated $150,000.
Information shared online said Creason and his wife started the school in their home while they were members of Life Mission Church, a megachurch in Olathe, Kansas, where Creason and his wife are reported as founding members.
When The Christian Post reached out to the church on Wednesday, however, Marlene Abbey, operations director at Life Mission, said she was unable to confirm Creason’s relationship with the church. Another employee who did not give her name said the Creasons had attended the church “in the beginning” but she could not recall the last time that she saw the couple. She also said Life Church had no affiliation with the school and described it as a private venture of the Creasons.
A document on the couple’s history states, "When Life Church was growing and building, Dennis and Robin started a school in their home, Oaklawn Christian Montessori School. Dennis also got Montessori training. They continued to pray and work with the Lord, and He miraculously provided them a home on adjoining property, financial means to maintain and enlarge the school, bus needs, committed parents of students, and children to teach. Someday, they hope to build themselves a log home on the school property.
“While they may face overwhelming challenges, they know that Jesus is always greater. Whether God directs the opening of more schools or downsizing, Dennis and Robin seek to teach these children at a young age the full truth of God. Having learned that the spiritual gift of tongues is a form of fighting the enemy, Robin expands upon this goal, ‘I feel it is very important to equip the children in ways to fight the enemy with the sword. We teach them to stand upon God’s Word.'"
In March 2018, Creason reportedly told members of the unidentified church that the school spent $75,000 of the donation to purchase lumber for the new building. Layne alleges in the lawsuit that no lumber was delivered.
Creason’s arrest last August doomed the new school from getting off the ground so Layne is suing to get his money back plus interest and attorney’s fees.
