CALIFORNIA
PR*Urgent
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOS ANGELES, CA — National advocacy organizations for education and prevention of childhood sexual abuse are leading a protest at the inaugural opening of Whole Foods 365 store, May 25 in Los Angeles.
The protest is in response to Whole Foods co-founder and co-CEO John Mackey’s link to spiritual teacher and former rabbi Marc Gafni, as reported by The New York Times in December. Planning is underway for a coordinated protest at a Whole Foods store in New York City.
SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests), NAASCA (National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse), and Peaceful Hearts Foundation (founded by Matthew Sandusky) are backing the protest.
On December 25, 2015, The New York Times reported Mackey’s affiliation with Gafni: “He [Gafni] added, ‘She was 14 going on 35, and I never forced her.'” And, “A co-founder of Whole Foods, John Mackey, a proponent of conscious capitalism, calls Mr. Gafni ‘a bold visionary.’ He is a chairman of the executive board of Mr. Gafni’s center, and he hosts board meetings at his Texas ranch.”
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