This press release prompted coverage in The New York Times (front page), Associated Press, Religious News Service, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS),CNN, the Dallas Morning News, and most major newspapers. alberghi a BucharestPotomac, MD USA 9 October 1998 Dear Maharaja/prabhu, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! This is our official media release. Perhaps you are have seen the NEW YORKTIMES" article on today's (9 October) front page. AP Global, Indiannewspapers in the USA, the BBC, and German radio so far have talked withAnuttama. Many of the media have seen the following release. I will be in aNA Communications conference on 10 and 11 October, and part of 12 October. your servant, Mukunda Goswami **************************************************************** MEDIA RELEASE Arlandastad hotelesHARE KRISHNAS DOCUMENT PAST ABUSE AT BOARDING SCHOOLS Date: October 9, 1998 Contact: Anuttama Dasa Phone: (301) 299-9707 The academic journal of the International Society for KrishnaConsciousness (ISKCON), in its most recent volume, has documented thehistory of child abuse in Hare Krishna boarding schools in the United Statesand India during the 1970's and 1980's. Two scholars, one a Krishna devotee, and the other a sociologyprofessor at Middlebury College in Vermont, each contributed an article tothe ISKCON Communications Journal cataloguing ISKCON's failure to provideadequate protection for its parochial school students during the society'searliest years. The abuses outlined were physical, emotional and sexual. The New York Times called the report "an unusually candid expose."The Times noted ISKCON's openness in dealing with past deviants, in contrastwith other religious organizations including the Roman Catholic Church,which has been criticized for its handling of child abuse. The CatholicChurch recently paid a $30 million settlement in a case against a parishpriest, according to the Times. ERROR MSG"This type of problem thrives on secrecy," said Anuttama Dasa,ISKCON National Director of Communications. "We chose to print the articlesand bring the abuse out into the open as part of a multi-pronged response toaddress past problems as well as to help prevent future abuse of ourchildren." The depth of the abuse was first highlighted at a national meetingof ISKCON leaders in May, 1996. At that time, ten young Krishna adultsshocked the leadership during a presentation where they shared theirpersonal stories of neglect and abuse. ISKCON's steps in light of the abuses surfacing have included theestablishment of a Child Protection Office staffed with professional socialworkers with abuse response training; and Children of Krishna, anorganization providing financial assistance for Krishna youth foreducational needs as well as counseling. (For further information about theChild Protection Office, please contact Dhira Govinda Dasa, Director, at[904] 418-0882.) ERROR MSGThe boarding school model, or traditional gurukula system thatISKCON brought from India, has also been modified. ISKCON now only operatesday schools in the United States, to facilitate much greater parentalinvolvement and supervision of their children's education. ISKCON, also known as the Hare Krishna movement, was brought to thewest from India in 1965 by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, an elderly monk andscholar. ISKCON is part of the Vaishnava religious tradition, a monotheisticbranch of the broad Hindu tradition. ISKCON has over 325 templesworld-wide, including 45 in the United States. ISKCON also runs 85vegetarian restaurants, and its Food for Life project is the world's largestvegetarian food relief organization, having served over 75 million freemeals since 1974. India Express | Deccan Herald | Dallas Morning News ISKCON's Press Release | back to timeline | |