Matt Harmon is the son of Hank and Diane Harmon. The Harmons have had a close friendship with Debbie-Jo and Joe White spanning decades and have served Kanakuk in many capacities. Hank and Matt Harmon both served as trip guides and held various other roles with Kanakuk Kamps and Kanakuk International. Matt worked for Kanakuk beginning in 1995 through the mid-2000s. He was on staff at K-WILD where he was dismissed only to go work at K-Colorado under directors Jamie Jo and Andy Braner as a ropes course instructor. He also worked with youth at Highland Park K-LIFE in Dallas, TX, and private schools Trinity Christian Academy (TCA) in Addison, Texas, and Providence Christian School (PCS) in Dallas, TX. Matt Harmon was arrested in Dallas County on May 28, 2024, for a second-degree felony sexual assault of a female child and was released on $40,000 bond on May 29, 2024.

The Harmons maintain a residence located directly adjacent to Kanakuk with access to the K-2 campground. It is referred to by Kanakuk staff as the “Harmon Cabin.” Hank Harmon held the title of “Trip Director” for Kanakuk Kamps from 1971-2011 and was present as a chaperone on many international trips during which victims allege Pete Newman abused them and created child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”).

Like both his parents, Matt Harmon worked at Trinity Christian Academy (TCA) in Addison, Texas; Matt served as an adult chaperone on trips for TCA students in 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2016. Hank and Diane Harmon served as faculty members at TCA from 1983-2023, while concurrently working for Kanakuk. A TCA student who was abused by Kanakuk counselor Paul Green reported that he disclosed his abuse (as documented in this Springfield News-Leader article) to Hank Harmon, but there was no indication that Harmon or Kanakuk reported it to the proper authorities or other parents. Matt also worked at Providence Christian School of Texas (PCS) in Dallas from 2004-2007, teaching Class Six Computer, Class One and Two Boys P.E., Class Three through Eight P.E., Class Eight English and coaching Girls Volleyball, Boys Lacrosse, and Football.

Due to allegations raised by PCS victims in Fall 2022, the school initiated an independent investigation that led to the opening of a criminal case in May 2023. Diane and Hank Harmon announced their retirement from TCA shortly after these investigations became publicly known.

From 2009-2014, Matt Harmon worked with vulnerable youth internationally as the Executive Director of the Trinity West Christian Dispatch Foundation (TWCD Foundation), a nonprofit he founded and for which he and his father served on the board. In this role, he traveled to volunteer at natural disaster recovery zones and orphanages in countries such as Haiti.