Gentle Wind Project

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The Gentle Wind project is a new age group based in New England. The group has been criticized for cult-like practices. The organization is to be dissolved as part of a consent decree following a fraud lawsuit brought against the group.

Gentle Wind Project describes itself as "a not-for profit world healing organization....[with] a healing technology....along with telepathic abilities....designed to restore and regenerate a person's energetic structure when used one time in a person's life."

GWP was founded circa 1980 by John "Tubby" Miller and Claudia Panuthos (now Mary "Moe" Miller) in Arlington, MA, relocating in 1984 to Kittery, ME.

John Miller claims to receive telepathic impressions from the spirit world to create healing instruments that donators receive as gifts for set donation prices varying from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

[edit] Litigation Initiated By Gentle Wind Project

In May 2004 GWP leaders filed a lawsuit in Maine U.S. District Court, consisting of Federal RICO (racketeering) and Lanham claims, plus state claims (including defamation), against several international anti-cult educators and two former followers who published stories on the Internet about their personal experiences with GWP during seventeen years as followers and board members.

The former members won their Motion for Summary Judgment in January 2006, resulting in dismissal of GWP's Federal claims on the merits, and dismissal of the remaining state claims without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction, by Senior District Judge Gene Carter.

In January 2006, after the dismissal of the federal litigation, GWP leaders refiled their lawsuit in Maine State Court (York County, Alfred, ME), bringing the remaining state claims against the two former members and one anti-cult educator from New Zealand. This GWP lawsuit is scheduled for jury trial in late fall 2006. This case is unlikely to proceed to trial due to parallel litigation involving the Attorney General of Maine discussed below.

[edit] Fraud and Breach of Fiduciary Duty Litigation

The Attorney General of Maine filed charges against GWP and its officers and directors, citing false claims and fraud. The complaint charges that the defendants falsely claim that the instruments can improve mental, emotional, and physical well-being. The officers and directors are furthered charged for improperly disbursing hundreds of thousands of dollars to themselves.

The Attorney General asked the court to end sales of the "healing instruments", dissolve the corporation, ban the parties from serving as officers and directors of nonprofit corporations, order the return of all funds, and provide for restitution.[1]

The case was resolved by a consent decree on August 14, 2006, in which the defendants "agreed to pay civil penalties and costs and to an injunction that prohibits them from making certain health and research claims about the 'healing instruments' or from serving as fiduciaries or advisors for any other Maine nonprofit. The parties have also agreed that GWP will be dissolved, and its remaining assets distributed by the Attorney General as restitution to consumers who purchased a 'healing instrument' since 2003 and to a Maine charity whose charitable mission is to provide services to those with mental health disabilities.", according to a press release from the Attorney General's office.

[edit] Sources

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