(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Brian Ashton co-founded and ran a "restorative justice" program whose practices, according to a 2017 court ruling, amounted to false imprisonment and “textbook extortion” under California civil law. Today, he serves as the president of BYU-Pathway Worldwide, the online education program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aimed at expanding access to affordable education to some of the world’s poorest people.