Dear Friends,

As many of you know, Portland, Oregon hosts the headquarters of both FPMT and Maitripa College, an affiliate of FPMT.  A few days ago, a local newspaper based in Portland released two articles relating to some allegations of sexual abuse and their handling by Maitripa College and the FPMT organization, as well as a court complaint in North Carolina, which is a separate matter. Since then, these articles have been shared online and commented on by others.

We fully understand the concerns and questions these articles will raise in our community, which is why we want to clarify a few points regarding the situation.

As an organization, the FPMT exists to work for the well-being of sentient beings, and as a board, we take this mission very seriously. Over its 50 years of existence, the FPMT has consistently striven to uphold the highest ethical standards.

We want to strongly reaffirm that there is no place for abuse of any kind in our organization, and our commitment to address all complaints of abuse appropriately and with equanimity is unwavering. The FPMT is also committed to doing whatever is necessary to prevent harm from occurring to anyone who enters our mandala. We will continue working to foster better understanding of the teachings of the Vajrayana tradition and their implementation through the education of all who engage, study or come in contact with it at our centers.

Our Policies

In 2002, we were among the first Buddhist organizations to implement an Ethical Policy, which all teachers and persons in positions of authority were required to sign.

Then, in 2021, applying the lessons learned from the situations concerning Dagri Rinpoche, we implemented the FPMT Protecting from Abuse (PfA) policy. The policy included guidelines on recognizing abuse, procedures to be followed, respecting confidentiality, and guidelines for teachers, staff, and volunteers. We also introduced a mandatory training course for all those in positions of authority.

To ensure the safety of students, visitors, staff, and all who come in contact with our centers, projects, and services, we are continually working to improve our efforts.  We therefore prioritized a major review of our FPMT PfA policy, which will be completed this year. The review is looking at all areas connected with safeguarding and our centres’ duty of care to ensure that no complaint goes unaddressed or unresolved.

North Carolina

With respect to the court complaint in North Carolina mentioned in the articles, we have always taken such allegations seriously, and we have tremendous empathy for the plaintiff and their health and well-being. We made sure that the allegations were thoughtfully and thoroughly investigated and found them to be unsubstantiated. In the course of our defense, we had an opportunity to amicably resolve our differences in a manner that fits the values of FPMT, makes FPMT a good steward of our resources, and shows empathy. All involved came to the same conclusion: the negative effects of a case dragging on for years weighed heavily in favor of agreeing to a settlement. The court matter is now being dismissed, will be permanently closed, and is not eligible for refiling.

Portland

The other allegations involve Yangsi Rinpoche, the resident teacher in Maitripa College.

FPMT International Office was informed by Maitripa College about these complaints and their outcomes at the time they were handled locally. The process followed and the outcomes reached appeared to be appropriate and adequate, and we understood the matter to be closed.

However, the complainants have recently reached out directly to the FPMT International Office to object to how their complaints were handled by Maitripa College and to request further action from our side. Accordingly, the FPMT International Office decided to commission a review of the case and a risk assessment from an independent third party specializing in safeguarding. This is ongoing.

While Yangsi Rinpoche is considered innocent during the review, according to FPMT policy and processes, and due to the serious nature of the allegations, he was asked in April 2026 to step down from teaching or leading any other activities at FPMT centers, including Maitripa College, until the matter is resolved. 

In parallel with the independent third-party review of the complaints, an internal review of the case has been commissioned to assess specifically whether the previous complaints were processed by Maitripa College and the FPMT in accordance with our Protecting from Abuse policy. 

Maitripa College, as well as Yangsi Rinpoche, have expressed their full support for the FPMT to carry out its due diligence in conducting an independent review in accordance with their policies and procedures for protecting students. Both Maitripa College and Yangsi Rinpoche are cooperating fully and openly with that process.

Conclusion

We will, of course, keep you updated regarding any further developments concerning these matters and the conclusions reached. We cannot stress enough how seriously we take complaints of abuse – abusive behavior of any nature is absolutely not tolerated on any level in the organization.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you for your ongoing commitment to fulfilling the wishes of our precious Lamas for the benefit and welfare of all beings.

With best wishes from the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors:

Khenrinpoche Geshe Chonyi
Ven. Pemba Sherpa
Ven. Roger Kunsang
Karuna Cayton
Dale Davis
Paula de Wys