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Ezra Bayda page[edit]
Edit to page citing October 22, 2019 email from Board of Trustees of Zen Center of San Diego to Zen Center of San Diego membership.
To confirm that this email was sent to the membership, feel free to contact the Zen Center of San Diego Board of Trustees President at
president@zencentersandiego.org
Text of email:
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ On Tuesday, October 22, 2019 9:03 PM, Zen Center of San Diego <zencentersandiego@gmail.com> wrote:
Findings
The ZCSD Board received FaithTrust Institute’s report a few days ago. The Board met with legal counsel on Saturday, October 19, and on Sunday, October 20, Board members met with FaithTrust Institute, once again with counsel present.
In prior communications, we stated that a community meeting would be held before a decision was made about the future of Ezra Bayda and Elizabeth Hamilton as teachers. However, responsibility for making this decision rests solely with the Board, and after receiving FaithTrust Institute’s report and subsequently meeting with legal counsel and FaithTrust Institute, we made our decision.
In order to preserve the confidentiality of all parties, the meeting on November 2 will not include an open discussion of the report. Rather, we will gather as a community to discuss and process the announcement below, which includes the Board’s decision.
Dear Sangha,
On July 23, 2019, the Zen Center of San Diego’s Board of Trustees received verbal accounts of allegations of sexual misconduct by Ezra Bayda. No complaints of sexual misconduct were made against Elizabeth Hamilton. Immediately afterward, the Board placed Ezra and Elizabeth on leave, pending an investigation into the allegations of misconduct.
The Board hired FaithTrust Institute to conduct an independent investigation on our behalf. All affiliates of the community were invited to submit confidential statements to FTI and were given the option of participating in a follow-up interview. As part of the process, Ezra and Elizabeth were both interviewed by FTI. Ezra also submitted written responses to the allegations.
Having reviewed the comprehensive confidential report prepared by FaithTrust Institute, dated October 16, 2019, the Board voted unanimously to remove Ezra Bayda as a teacher at ZCSD. We concur with FTI’s findings that there was credible evidence that Ezra committed multiple instances of sexual misconduct with more than one student in violation of ZCSD’s Policy on Sexual Misconduct and the White Plum Asanga’s Code of Ethical Conduct.
In addition, the Board voted unanimously to ask Elizabeth for her immediate resignation on the basis of her breaching the WPA’s Code of Ethical Conduct as it relates to confidentiality, right speech, and dual relationships. Elizabeth submitted her resignation.
We commend the courage of the women who came forward and thank them for bringing these issues to our attention. We are obligated to respect their confidentiality, and we urge you to likewise respect their privacy and refrain from speculation. The process with FaithTrust Institute was predicated on utmost confidentiality, and the final report cannot be disclosed.
FaithTrust Institute received more than 30 letters of support on behalf of Ezra and Elizabeth. It is clear that many people have benefited substantially from them as teachers and from the knowledge and skills they have brought to ZCSD. We are grateful to them and thank them for their many years of dedicated service to the sangha.
We appreciate how difficult it is for the sangha to receive this information. It is possible for an individual to be a skilled teacher with exceptional gifts, on the one hand, and to engage in behavior that violates a policy or betrays trust, on the other hand. It is also possible for a majority of people in a community to experience no misconduct or harm by a teacher while other people in the same community do, in fact, experience misconduct or harm by that same teacher.
We are profoundly sorry for the pain and suffering experienced by the women who came forward and by all who have been directly or indirectly involved. Many other communities have walked this difficult path, been sustained by their practice together, and emerged wiser and stronger. We hope we can continue our practice here at ZCSD and work together to help heal the community.
On Wednesday, October 23, the two usual sittings will be followed by an open period, when ZCSD participants can begin to process this news within the supportive environment of the sangha. On November 2, we will hold a community-wide meeting, beginning with two periods of sitting. This will be an opportunity for members of the community to be heard. A Council will be held on November 13, led by Anne Seisen Saunders.
Sincerely, The 2019 ZCSD Board of Trustees