Background and Experience
An Olive Branch was formed in 2011 as a project of the Zen Center of Pittsburgh. Growing out of the need for greater understanding and reduction of ethical misconduct on the part of religious leaders, our work is centered on providing services that help organizations prevent misconduct and respond to it if it does occur.
To help prevent misconduct, we guide organizations to write codes of conduct and grievance procedures, provide training on difficult conversations, train boards of directors on leading governance practices, and train teachers and students with respect to ethics and boundaries.
To support organizations responding to misconduct that has occurred, we work with the governing board to set up listening services for those harmed, implement the existing code of conduct and grievance procedure (if any), facilitate community meetings to identify and address the harm, and work with the board to make necessary leadership changes.
Although all projects are subject to our confidentiality policy, we are comfortable listing the following clients since they have publicly named An Olive Branch as a service provider during our consulting relationship with them:
Eido Tai Shimano, founding Abbott, stepped down in 2010 after admitting to years of sexual relationships with students.
Joshu Sasaki was accused by many women of making unwanted sexual advances over the course of decades and died in 2014 soon after the abuse was reported.
Lama Norlah, founder, withdrew from leadership in 2017 when accusations surfaced regarding years of sexual relationships with young female students.
Sogyal Lakar, founder and head, was denounced in 2017 in a letter from eight senior students who accused him of physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual abuse along with excessive lifestyle spending and spiritual harm.
Osel R. Mukpo [Sakyong Mipham], leader of the worldwide Shambhala community, withdrew to India in 2018 after allegations of sexual misconduct became public in a series of three “Buddhist Project Sunshine” reports.
We have also worked on other cases of ethical misconduct that the organization has not made public.
