On Sept. 27, Thane Epefanio, administrator of the Hopi Mission School, Kykotsmovi, Arizona, and Michelle Epefanio, who teaches as the school, were arrested on a complaint that they committed Social Security fraud. This arrest comes in the middle of an ongoing lawsuit between Mennonite Church USA and the school.

On Sept. 30, the Epefanios appeared before Judge Deborah Fine in the United States District Court of Arizona. Both Thane and Michelle Epefanio, who are married, were released from custody on Friday, September 30, while the case is pending.

Thane Epefanio was hired by Hopi Mission School in 2011.

“Mennonite Church USA has cooperated fully with any and all requests of law enforcement officials and will continue to do so,” Mennonite Church USA executive director Ervin Stutzman said.

Mennonite Church USA initially formed the Hopi Mission School Task Group in 2014 to investigate complaints about the administration of Hopi Mission School, which has a long relationship with the Mennonite church and is located on land that was deeded to Mennonite Church USA to carry out education and mission. The school’s administration and Board chose not to cooperate with the Task Group, refusing to turn over the school’s financial records. Mennonite Church USA asked the school administration and Board to vacate the property by June 30, 2015.

The Hopi Mission School Board and administration have contested the church’s right to ownership of the property and its authority to intervene in the operation of the school. With the counsel of the Task Group, Mennonite Church USA filed suit against the school in Arizona state court in September 2015. The matter now resides in the hands of the state courts in Navajo County.

“We continue to ask for prayer for all the persons involved,” Mennonite Education Agency executive director Carlos Romero said, “and for the lives that are impacted by the ministry of the Hopi Mission School.”