Sri Galima Dasa
Legal name Gary Gardner
Sri GalimSri Galima dasa
- Asrama teacher, Dallas gurukula (early 1970s)
- New Vrindaban gurukula
- 1976–1978
- Headmaster, New Vrindaban gurukula (removed May 1983)
- 1978–1983
- Headmaster, New Vrindaban gurukula (again, for a few months from late 1986)
- 1986
Protected by · 1
Radhanath SwamiThe 2016 documentary Cost of Silence indicates that in the 1980s he opposed Sri Galima dasa's removal from New Vrindaban; he denies it, and ISKCON said the film makes the claim "without conclusive evidence".
Record summary
1 entry — 1 ISKCON finding.
Last reviewedBio
Sri Galima Dasa (legal name Gary Gardner) served in ISKCON’s schools from the early 1970s, according to the 2000 decision of ISKCON’s Central Office of Child Protection. He was an asrama teacher at the Dallas gurukula in the early 1970s, joined a sankirtana party in the mid-1970s, and in 1976 began serving in the gurukula at New Vrindaban, the Hare Krishna community near Moundsville, West Virginia. He became its headmaster in 1978. In May 1983 he was removed from the gurukula, and a few months later he married. He kept some contact with the community’s schools afterwards, and late in 1986 he was again made headmaster for a few months. His birth date is given as 31 January 1948. His initiation is not confirmed in the sources reviewed.
By 2007 he was no longer allowed at New Vrindaban and was living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Henry Doktorski, a former resident who has written a history of the community, sometimes visited him. In a 2007 essay the writer quotes him complaining: “I don’t understand why I’ve been exiled from New Vrindaban for allegations of child molestation … I’ve never been convicted of any crime.” The essay’s own explanation was that “dozens of former gurukulis pressured the community to banish you” (doktorski-2007). This is one person’s account of private conversations; when and how the ban was imposed is not documented.
Sources (4)
- [1]Hinduism Today, New Vrindaban Legal Update, May 1, 1988
- [2]Official Decision of the ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection on the case of Sri Galima dasa (Gary Gardner), decided 1 February 2000, Feb 1, 2000 (document)
- [3]henrydoktorski.com, Timeline of Important Events for Gold, Guns and God, Killing For Krishna and Eleven Naked Emperors (Henry Doktorski) — author's book page
- [4]henrydoktorski.com, Faith Is Blind and Ignorance Is Bliss (Henry Doktorski) — essay dated 20 March 2007; first published in the Sampradaya Sun, Mar 20, 2007
Record
1 entry · most established firstSexual and physical abuse of students at the New Vrindaban gurukula
In February 2000 ISKCON's Central Office of Child Protection found, on the balance of evidence, that as a teacher and headmaster at the New Vrindaban gurukula he sexually abused two boys and physically abused three, including with a wooden paddle. One boy said the abuse of him continued for more than two years, in 1983–1986. Criminal child molestation charges brought in West Virginia in the late 1980s were dismissed in 1989 before trial.
The 2000 decision records that he told the child protection office he had no training as a teacher or headmaster, that about 50 boys lived in austere conditions under his care by 1980, and that his requests to marry and for training were refused; the panel said these pressures “do not absolve Sri Galima of his responsibility”. ISKCON’s 2016 statement on child protection, approved by the GBC Executive Committee, also refers to “the removal of Sri Galim from New Vrndavana”. New Vrindaban was expelled from ISKCON in the late 1980s and later readmitted; the school was an ISKCON project in the earlier period, but the exact years are not confirmed.
- 1987ChargedUPI reported in April 1987, without naming him, that "in February, the headmaster of New Vrindaban's now-closed school and one of his aides were charged with molesting a boy over a three-year period"; the ICOCP decision records that he had again been made headmaster late in 1986. In May 1988 Hinduism Today quoted the Marshall County prosecutor as saying he "has been charged with child molestation. He has fled the area." Nori Muster's timeline dates his arrest to 1987; a published history of New Vrindaban says he was charged in early 1987, fled, and returned and turned himself in in late 1988.
- 1989DismissedThree days before the trial was due to begin the charges were reportedly "suddenly and unexpectedly dropped", and the district attorney is said to have attributed the dismissal to "technical flaws". This was a dismissal, not an acquittal. The Los Angeles Times reported in 1993, without naming him, that charges against one of two New Vrindaban teachers were dismissed. The court record has not been obtained.
- 2000AdmittedPartial. According to the ICOCP decision he admitted fondling two former students, denying allegations of oral or anal sex, and admitted that he "excessively" spanked a third boy on one occasion.
- 2000ISKCON findingICOCP Official Decision: the panel accepted that he sexually abused two boys and physically abused three, and accepted his denial of a second-hand allegation concerning a third boy.
The ICOCP banned him from ISKCON property and functions until 1 February 2006, the ban to continue indefinitely unless he underwent a sexuality-focused mental-health evaluation and at least six months of therapy, paid at least USD 5,000 towards victims' restitution, and wrote detailed apology letters to the five victims. For life he may not give class or lead kirtan at ISKCON, hold any position, do any service connected with children, visit ISKCON schools or be alone with children, and his books and recordings may not be sold in ISKCON outlets. Statements attributed to ISKCON's North American committee and the ISKCON New Vrindaban board (June 2020), seen only as reproduced on a third-party blog, say that he is banned from New Vrindaban property. A 2014 statement attributed to the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) trustees, also seen only on that blog, says that "in light of … the official decision against him by the ISKCON Child Protection Office" the BBT will not sell him its products. A statement attributed to Swami B.V. Madhav, a guru outside ISKCON, reproduced on the same blog in 2020, says he had given Sri Galim sannyasa unaware of "his past history of abuse" and had since revoked it.
The ICOCP decision records that he admitted fondling two boys but denied oral or anal sex; that he described one beating as having "spanked him very hard" and said he had apologised to the boy's parents; and that he wrote: "As far as I was concerned to spank a kid was proper discipline. We did have a paddle and Kirtanananda Swami [the authority in New Vrndavana at the time] approved of it." He also wrote: "I accept responsibility for that, but I don't think that I am alone responsible. ISKCON and the authorities at the time are also responsible for putting such a heavy burden on my shoulders." [6]
Sources (10)
- [1]UPI, Krishna scandals boiling again (Thomas Ferraro) — UPI NewsFeature, Apr 12, 1987 originalcopy on this site
- [2]Hinduism Today, New Vrindaban Legal Update, May 1, 1988 original
- [3]surrealist.org, ISKCON gurukula timeline (Nori Muster) original
- [4]henrydoktorski.com, Timeline of Important Events for Gold, Guns and God, Killing For Krishna and Eleven Naked Emperors (Henry Doktorski) — author's book page original
- [5]Los Angeles Times, SECT: Hare Krishna Children Feel Tug of Secular World — continuation page A40, Nov 26, 1993
- [6]Official Decision of the ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection on the case of Sri Galima dasa (Gary Gardner), decided 1 February 2000, Feb 1, 2000 (document) original
- [7]ISKCON News, A Statement on Child Protection within ISKCON (Anuttama Dasa) — approved by the GBC Executive Committee on 4 June 2016, Jun 6, 2016 originalcopy on this site
- [8]ISKCON North America / ISKCON New Vrindaban — North American Committee statement (2020-06-20) and ISKCON New Vrindaban Board statement (2020-06-29) (copy reproduced by seekingtheessence.wordpress.com), June 2020 original
- [9]Bhaktivedanta Book Trust — Official statement by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust trustees regarding Sri Galima, dated 06/10/14 (copy reproduced by seekingtheessence.wordpress.com), 2014 original
- [10]seekingtheessence.wordpress.com — Statement by Swami B.V. Madhav regarding Sri Galim das (copy reproduced by seekingtheessence.wordpress.com), Oct 1, 2020 original
Places
2- New VrindabanMoundsville, United StatesHeadmaster, New Vrindaban gurukula (removed May 1983); Headmaster again, for a few months from late 1986; Headmaster, New Vrindaban gurukula (again, for a few months from late 1986); —1978–19831 accusation here
- Dallas gurukula (TKG Academy)Dallas, United StatesAsrama teacher, Dallas gurukula (early 1970s)No accusations here
People affected
1 people affected · 0 died- Five boys at the New Vrindaban gurukula, 1980–1986ISKCON's child-protection office found in 2000 that Sri Galima Dasa, as teacher and headmaster, sexually abused two of them and physically abused three, including with a wooden paddle. Child-molestation charges brought against him in West Virginia were dismissed before trial in 1989 Abused.ConnectionISKCON finding
Timeline
Each status change in this record, on one axis, with the periods of the cases Sri Galima Dasa is involved in.
- 1987
- ChargedFebruary 1987 Sexual and physical abuse of students at the New Vrindaban gurukula UPI reported in April 1987, without naming him, that "in February, the headmaster of New Vrindaban's now-closed school and one of his aides were charged with molesting a boy over a three-year period"; the ICOCP decision records that he had again been made headmaster late in 1986. In May 1988 Hinduism Today quoted the Marshall County prosecutor as saying he "has been charged with child molestation. He has fled the area." Nori Muster's timeline dates his arrest to 1987; a published history of New Vrindaban says he was charged in early 1987, fled, and returned and turned himself in in late 1988.
- 1989
- DismissedMay 1, 1989 Sexual and physical abuse of students at the New Vrindaban gurukula Three days before the trial was due to begin the charges were reportedly "suddenly and unexpectedly dropped", and the district attorney is said to have attributed the dismissal to "technical flaws". This was a dismissal, not an acquittal. The Los Angeles Times reported in 1993, without naming him, that charges against one of two New Vrindaban teachers were dismissed. The court record has not been obtained.
- 2000
- AdmittedFeb 1, 2000 Sexual and physical abuse of students at the New Vrindaban gurukula Partial. According to the ICOCP decision he admitted fondling two former students, denying allegations of oral or anal sex, and admitted that he "excessively" spanked a third boy on one occasion.
- ISKCON findingFeb 1, 2000 Sexual and physical abuse of students at the New Vrindaban gurukula ICOCP Official Decision: the panel accepted that he sexually abused two boys and physically abused three, and accepted his denial of a second-hand allegation concerning a third boy.