Posted on 05/23/2005 6:13:48 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A federal bankruptcy court on Monday approved a reorganization plan that will allow six California-based Hare Krishna temples and their affiliates to remain open while compensating members who claim they were abused at the society's schools.
The plan includes $9.5 million for alleged victims of sexual, physical and emotional abuse during the 1970s and 1980s at religious boarding schools run by the Hare Krishnas.
A similar reorganization plan was approved May 16 in West Virginia, where temples also filed for bankruptcy. The monotheistic tradition, also known as the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, was founded in 1966 by an Indian scholar.
Ninety-two people sued the Hare Krishnas in 2000 in U.S. District Court in Dallas, alleging they had been sexually, physically and emotionally abused at Krishna boarding schools in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the United States, schools were in Los Angeles and Three Rivers, Calif., Moundsville, W. Va., and Dallas. Other boarding schools were in India.
The federal suit was dismissed in 2001, but the plaintiffs refiled in Texas state court.
The Hare Krishnas filed for bankruptcy in February 2002 before the case went to trial.
The society has since located more than 350 more people worldwide who claim they were abused at the schools, known as ashram-based gurukulas. These people will also receive a piece of the compensation fund, said Anuttama Dasa, the Washington, D.C.-based spokesman for the religious society.
"We knew there were more kids who were mistreated or abused and we wanted to try to include them in the settlement," Dasa said.
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On the Net:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness: http://www.iskcon.com/
I didnt know Hare-Krishna's had temples. I thought they just hung around airports.
I guess they shouldn't have been giving away all those copies of the Bhagavad-gita for free.
Harry Krishna went bankrupt? Hmph, the SOB owed me money.
Whoa.. '70's flashback dude.
Hare fruitcakes, Hare rama, Hare Chapter 11.
I am so sad.
I tried to visit a Krishna temple. Kept getting accosted by airline pilots.
The mistakes of the Sixties generation are coming home to roost...
Maybe they consider airports to be their temples?
They need to play the BEATLES song "MY SWEET LORD" more, especially the hari krishna parts again. and again. and again. to make them feel better.
I SAW THAT FILM! I also forgot that Count Dookoo was in The Serial. Almost as funny as that movie where Helen Hunt takes acid and throws herself out the window.
Not only do they have temples, but they provide free food daily to anyone hungry who shows up to eat it. Their mandate is to provide for anyone in a 25 mile radius around the temple, plus any travelers.
I might add the food is excellent, as long as you don't mind vegetarian. Complete meals, all you can eat buffet style; not just snacks. To support the temple, in addition to donations, they also had an art & gift shop; and raised sheep, goats, and llamas commercially...for wool & milk, not meat.:)
We stopped and toured a temple in Utah, of all places. Driving by, saw the building, and curiously stopped. Frankly, thought it was a new Shriner's temple or something when we first saw it.
They did not try to push their religion on us, but did explain their basic beliefs, and were more than happy to answer any questions. They were not at all obnoxious like their buddies at the airports are.
Other than dressing funny, and being totally misguided theologically....
Martin Mull was the girl's father. Serial was hilarious. Tuesday Weld was the wife.
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