Parent, former dean accused of taking student against his will from California to Missouri

Fresno, Calif. – A former dean of a Missouri boarding school and the parent of a student have been charged and accused of taking the boy against his will and violating a protective order, according to U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California Philip A. Talbert.

Shana Gaviola and Julio Sandoval are accused of transporting the student from Fresno, California, to the Agape Boarding School in Stockton. Sandoval worked at Agape for 10 years.

A federal indictment charged Gaviola, 35, and Sandoval, 41, with violating a protective order issued at the request of the student.

In addition to being dean of Agape Boarding School, Sandoval also founded an agency that transported minors to the school.

According to court documents, Gaviola’s son petitioned for emancipation in 2020 and obtained a domestic violence protection order against Gaviola in July 2021.

In August 2021, Gaviola and Sandoval allegedly made plans for Gaviola’s son to be forcibly transported.

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“Individuals acting on behalf of Gaviola and Sandoval found the minor at a business in Fresno, handcuffed him, and forced him into a car. He remained in handcuffs for over 24 hours while they drove to Stockton, Missouri. He was then held at the boarding school until his father was able to free him,” said the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.

If convicted of the charges, each defendant faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Agape Boarding School is “a Christian boarding school that turns around rebellious boys,” according to its website, and is still open and enrolling students. It is a ministry of Agape Baptist Church, and is a non-profit.

Former students, some of who attended Agape as recently as 2022, have filed at least 19 civil cases against the school, alleging physical and emotional abuse.