ISKCON Temples File For BANKRUPTCY
Rather than wasting millions of dollars to fight this suit, Chapter 11 reorganization will help ISKCON communities to establish a substantial, yet reasonable, fund to help any young person who may have been abused, said Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Director of Communications. We want first and foremost to heal our communities and our young people, Dasa said.
Date: February 6, 2002
Contact: Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Communications International,
(301) 299-9707
David Liberman, Attorney, (310) 277-9288
Sandy Frey, Bankruptcy Counsel, (310) 277-7400
Washington, D.C.-At least a dozen temples, related entities and individuals affiliated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), better known as the Hare Krishna Movement, will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection later this month.
The Chapter 11 bankruptcy focuses on reorganization rather than liquidation of religious assets. It is being filed to deal with claimants including a $400 million dollar lawsuit against Krishna temples. That suit, first filed in Federal Court in June 2000, alleges children were abused at the religious society’s boarding schools in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The Krishnas prevailed when the suit was dismissed in September 2001, but a similar $400 million suit was later filed in Texas State Court.
The lawsuit, ISKCON leaders say, seeks far more money than the financial value of all the Krishna temples in North America.
In essence, the suit threatens to shut down an entire religion.
“Rather than wasting millions of dollars to fight this suit, Chapter 11 reorganization will help ISKCON communities to establish a substantial, yet reasonable, fund to help any young person who may have been abused,” said Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Director of Communications. “We want first and foremost to heal our communities and our young people,” Dasa said.
Through the reorganization, Krishnas hope to assure that all victims of past abuse-including youth who may have chosen not to join the suit-are compensated according to the severity of their grievance.
“Chapter 11 protection will also assure that innocent families and congregations do not have their places of worship sold out from under them, ” said Dasa. “We believe that innocent people should not be punished for the deeds of individual deviants who acted in total violation of our religious principles and teachings.”
The New York Times reported in 1999 that the Krishnas were “unusually candid” in their efforts to address past abuse. In 1990, ISKCON established policies mandating abuse prevention training and the reporting of any allegations of abuse to government authorities. In 1996, an independent Children of Krishna organization was formed to provide grants for education and training for Krishna youth.
In 1998, a professionally staffed Child Protection Office was established to investigate allegations of past abuse, provide grants for Krishna youth who may have been abused, and to assure the ongoing protection of Krishna children.
“Chapter 11 is a further effort to address past problems by creating an orderly and efficient procedure for dealing with and maximizing return to claimants,” said Sandy Frey, Bankruptcy Counsel.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is part of the ancient Vaishnava tradition, a monotheistic faith within Hindu culture. ISKCON was founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who first brought the Krishna tradition from India to the west in 1965. # # #
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I have been around Iskcon Hawaii since 1987,the community has not had any say about the administration to the best of my knowledge.The storys about someone committing suicide in the back yard Banyan tree.The death of a devote protecting one other devotee who wanted to run away with a daughter of Philippine consulate.The robbery and discovery of hiden jewels above the altar.The law suite for a Temple president having sex with Naragi a minor.The recent criminal complaint against Gokule sham for allegledy molesting Krsnaya a minor.Although the State dropped charges as state the stories from Krsyna are so inconsistent we have no choice but to drop this case.
Yes. Unfortunately these days the ISKCON temples are full of ‘devotees’ who are engaged in all sorts of terrible sinful and criminal activities. It is best to completely avoid the ISKCON temples. They have driven away the real devotees and now there are only sinful people, criminals and Mayavadis left, and a few fools who do not what is going on, and maybe a couple of new bhaktas who have not yet caught onto what is going on… It is best to completely avoid ISKCON temples.
Hello. I am confused. You are Vaisnava Hare Krishna devotees who promote Srila Prabhupada’s books – are you not Iskcon?
No, we are not ISKCON. ISKCON do not promote Srila Prabhupada, they have new gurus now, to them Prabhupada is dead and gone. And they are busy changing all of Prabhupada’s books to update them to their new deviant philosophies.
We are the followers of Srila Prabhupada and we print and distribute Srila Prabhupada’s original books. ISKCON are followers of the GBC and a collection of misfits who are their gurus but openly admit to not being pure devotees of Krishna.
ISKCON have disconnected themselves from Krishna. They will not be able to help you understand Krishna, because they do not understand Krishna themselves unfortunately.
They have nicely reformatted ISKCON from the world-wide association of pure devotees that Srila Prabhupada established into am mundane Hindu church no different from any other mundane religious group on the planet.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
But ISKCON devotees have enlightened me and continue to enlighten me and who knows maybe one day I may become a pure devotee … ‘I do not like the new edition of ‘Higher Taste’ though …glad I still have my original copy…so have you broken away – reformed?..how many of you are there? Haribol x