Briefs: June 10
By: Corey Pein 06/10/2009
Coss on Cheney: It may not be the most pressing issue for Santa Feans, but it is one vexing President Obama, armies of lawyers and untold thousands trapped in modern-day dungeons: torture.
At the June 10 Santa Fe City Council meeting, Mayor David Coss will ask his colleagues to endorse the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. That day, June 26, marks the 22nd anniversary of the UN Convention Against Torture—a treaty top human rights lawyers say the US broke repeatedly during the “war on terror.” The resolution skirts a controversial question: Should high-ranking members of the Bush Administration—like former Vice President Dick Cheney, who ordered and now publicly defends “enhanced interrogation techniques”—face prosecution?
“I support prosecution,” Coss says. Specifically, he favors a “truth commission” and prosecution for the torture policy makers “where warranted.”
Rape Claim Against Yoga Guru: The Cordova Road Dahn Yoga studio now advertises its “Brain Wave Vibration” classes with a large banner facing Trader Joe’s customers. Earlier this year, SFR reported on the controversial organization’s campaign to win endorsements from elected officials.
The plot thickened late last month, as a group of former Dahn students and instructors sued the organization and its founder, Ilchi Lee, in federal district court in Arizona. Cathleen Mann, a Colorado psychologist and designated plaintiffs’ expert on the case, writes to SFR that this is a “one of a kind lawsuit, which is pretty devastating to the Dahn organization and its leader, Ilchi Lee.”
The lawsuit includes a graphic allegation of sexual assault perpetrated by the founder, whose given name is Seung Huen Lee, against Jessica Harrelson of Massachusetts, who joined Dahn in 2003. By 2005, the group sent Harrelson to training in Korea. After returning to Boston, Lee quickly summoned her back to Korea; she complied. One night in Korea, she claims, Lee lured her into bed, forced her to perform oral sex, then raped her. Harrelson could not consent to sex, the complaint says, because “she had been indoctrinated by Dahn to ignore her inner will and desires, and to subsume her will to the leader, Ilchi Lee.” The suit suggests Harrelson was not the first to have such an experience.
In addition to seeking damages for psychological trauma, the suit alleges labor law violations, fraud and racketeering. The Dahn organization has settled previous lawsuits out of court.
“Our position is that the lawsuit is frivolous and based on complete falsehoods,” Dahn spokesman Joseph Alexander says. The plaintiffs are “a few disgruntled employees” out of 2,000 who “want money.”
Comments (21)
I enjoyed dahn yoga so much for about 10 years, and it makes happier, healthier, and more peaceful. I think everyone should try this yoga and exprience this to know what the truth is.
Especially My case, I could focus on myself much better than before. My crooked spine which was told it couldn't be better by doctor got so much better, it is so fine now, it was amazing!
I have been a Dahn Yoga Instructor for 7 years now and I am very proud to say that the principles and practices of Dahn Yoga have helped to heal myself, my family, and so many other people that I have shared them with through the years. I have seen so many people recover from seriouse illness and disease through this practice. It saddens me to see what these former employees are doing for their own personal gain.
Through last 10 years of exercises and reading books written by Ilchi Lee, I'm changing my life the way I really want. Now I feel very happy and I want to share my experience with more people. And also I know some people keep saying something wrong. But I don't care about it, because the truth depends on each person's experience and there are millions of people experiencing like me in the world.
It is not right to talk when it's not certain but with just false statements.
There're so many other complaints happening everyday too.
Just try BWV and get the full benefits, you'll appreciate it really a lot!
Should Journalism really try the same old way to sell more newspapers? If this article was really intended to deliver the truth to the public, please do more study and research. It just repeated the allegation against Dahn Yoga and Ilchi Lee, but hardly shows any sound basis for that allegation or the other side's allegation.
I had been practice Brain Wave Vibration for long time. It really gave me a lot of benefits.
Any big group has bad information but it doesn't mean they are curt or wrong.
What I experienced is most infortant to me. Plus it is so much cheaper then paying at hospital!
I have been practicing Dahn Yoga for over 5 years now and love it. I believe the instructors are very professional and really work to help the students. I hope people do not jump to judgement here. Let both sides be heard and;et the court gives us the judgement.
I'm also a happy instructor and employee of Dahn Yoga. I ahve to say that not only are the charges totally frivolous, but I question the bias of this news article and the Santa Fe Reporter.
This is not a "one of a kind lawsuit." It's total fabrication, and in that way makes it very similar to many claims by ex-employees of all sorts of companies who want monetary compensation for ways they perceived they were wronged. Fact of the matter is that Dahn Yoga has had a miniscule amount of lawsuits against it, compared with most other companies that have operated as long as we have. We take pride in what we do, and we take care of our employess.
Regarding Ms. Harrelson's comment, that “she had been indoctrinated by Dahn to ignore her inner will and desires, and to subsume her will to the leader, Ilchi Lee.” I mean, I guess I can't directly comment because I'm not her, but I have never experienced, nor heard of any other person experiencing this kind of "indoctrination." I was close to some of the plaintiffs, and know they didn't experience this either. Again, can't comment directly, but sounds completley unlikely.
Finally, SFR's comment that "The Dahn organization has settled previous lawsuits out of court," makes it sound like we have something to hide. Actually, it's a totally normal business practice to settle things out of court, even when you are 100% right -- it has to do with costs. To take and argue a case at court costs A LOT more money than settling outside of court. It's a necessary operational expense. Of course that lets people and news groups like SFR spin it like we have something to hide, or we settled outside of court because we didn't want the public to know something. That's totally wrong.
If you look at what Dahn Yoga has done for countless people, if you really research, in an unbiased fashion, you will see that Dahn Yoga has done completely unbelievable things for people -- helped empower people to live the lives they want, cure diseases and conditions they thought were incurable, and understand themselves in a deeper way. The outlandish complaints of the few get disproportionately augmented by our fear-driven and negative media circus, painting a completely false picture to the general public.
Our justiec system will show this "lawsuit" for what it is -- absolutely nothing.
I've worked for Dahn Yoga for three years. This program helped me to overcome problems with stress and anxiety and gave me confidence to make clear choices and take action for my well-being and peace of mind. I have never been indoctrinated to "ignore my inner will and desires" but rather have been given tools to be able to reflect more deeply within myself and actively create the life that I dream of.
Before I started Dahn Yoga, I never felt like what I did was enough to truly contribute to the peace and wellbeing of this earth and humanity. Even though I worked hard in various service organizations, I was never satisfied with myself. Now I have more confidence in myself and the message I have received most clearly from Ilchi Lee is, "Yes! I CAN do it!" When I feel doubt or judgement about myself, I can remember this and keep going forward, instead of getting stuck in these emotions.
So, personally, I have a lot of gratitude and appreciation for the growth that I have experienced through Ilchi Lee's trainings and DahnYoga programs. Thank you.
As a dahn yoga instructor, I'm really sorry to hear this story which is NOT true at all. I'm really happy for being an instructor who can help so many other people and see people changes in a better way of their body and mind as I exprienced! The best part of being Dahn yoga instructor for more than 10years is to express and achieve what I want and wish by growing myself!
I really and highly recommend everyone to exprience this!!!