$400 Mil Suit Against Hare Krsnas Dismissed

[Guest guest]

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"This was clearly a victory for religious freedom. The plaintiff's

attorney disingenuously sought to apply the RICO act in a

attempt to go after the assets of innocent people and temple

congregations."

 

— David Liberman

     attorney for ISKCON

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$400 Million Suit 

against Hare Krishna 

Dismissed

from ISKCON Communications

 

Dallas, Texas—The Honorable Sam A. Lindsay, Judge of the

United States District Court in Dallas, in a decision filed

September 28, has permanently dismissed a lawsuit seeking

$400 million dollars in damages from several dozen temples,

entities and individuals affiliated with the International Society for

Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), better known as the Hare

Krishna movement, a monotheistic Vaishnava denomination

within the Hindu tradition.

 

The suit was originally filed on June 12, 2000. It alleged that

various forms of child abuse occurred in the 1970's and 1980's

at several parochial schools and temples affiliated with ISKCON.

The case attempted to use the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt

Organizations Act (RICO) to corral allegations of abuse at

several schools into one Federal case.

 

"This was clearly a victory for religious freedom," said David

Liberman, one of the attorneys for ISKCON defendants. "The

plaintiff's attorney disingenuously sought to apply the RICO act in

a attempt to go after the assets of innocent people and temple

congregations. This effort would have opened the door for

churches and religious institutions across the country to be

attacked in a way never intended by the Congressional authors

of the RICO law."

 

Significantly, many respected faiths and religious organizations

including the National Council of Churches, the United States

Catholic Conference, the Baptist Joint Committee on Public

Affairs, and the American Jewish Congress filed an Amicus

Curiae brief, or Friends of the Court document, in support of the

Krishna position on the RICO claim.

 

Krishna leaders assert that the suit sought to close temples and

seize their assets, instead of pursuing and punishing those

deviant individuals who may have been abusive of children.

 

"We are greatly pleased and relieved by Judge Lindsay's

decision on this case," said Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Director of

Communications. "The decision will protect innocent families

whose temples were threatened with closure by this

overreaching suit. At the same time, we remain committed to

assure the safety of our children and will continue to reach out

proactively to help any young person who may have suffered in

the past," Dasa said.

 

ISKCON policies mandate immediate reporting of any

allegations of abuse to government authorities. An independent

organization, Children of Krishna, was formed in 1996 to provide

grants for education and counseling for Krishna youth. In 1998, a

professionally staffed Child Protection Office (CPO) was

established to investigate all allegations of abuse, to provide

assistance for youth, and to assure that Krishna communities

comply with requirements for child safety and abuse prevention.