Landmark Education Sexual Harrassment, Mind Games, and Unwanton Advances on Women Los Angeles California

This is a remarkable report, compared to certain other Landmark Education reports on this site, because all those commenting, so far, claim to have been participants in the Introduction Leader Program. Only about 5% of Landmark customers engage in the Assisting Program, and relatively few of these do the Introduction Leader Program, and even fewer become actual Introduction Leaders.

While a few transient exceptions may be made for those who are close to completion, coaches in the Introduction Leader Program are themselves Introduction Leaders, and, as such, "represent" Landmark.

The original report is a tale of sexual harassment at a particular Landmark center; one followup claims that this is common elsewhere. (And confuses it with dating among participants, which is an issue, but a different one.)

I am now in the Introduction Leaders Program, and the Landmark policy on sexual harassment isn't just handed out, it was read to us at the first workshop. Specific procedures are laid out for reporting sexual harassment. The complainant here did not follow her side of the policy, and, if we take the report at face value, nobody else did either. She did not describe informing the Center Manager.

She did inform two coaches, though, and those would be Program Leaders, as defined by Landmark. The Center Manager and all Program Leaders are bound by policy to immediately report a complaint of sexual harassment to the Director of Human Resources for Landmark. There is no exception for complaints believed to be wrong.

I'm saddened that, instead of standing for herself and her rights, and for all those who might similarly be harassed by the same person -- or others --, as she might have been able to do given her level of success in the work, she left the program.

Thus she left the problem in place. It is common with sexual harassment that some in an organization will be reluctant to address it. They may blame the individual harassed. It's easy to do that, I could myself point out that the account is self-serving, and the woman isn't taking responsibility for her side of this, but to focus on that would be a form of blaming the victim. For herself, I'm sure she will understand, given her experience with Landmark, I'd encourage her to acknowledge her own participation, however:

The behavior of that coach was, as reported, outrageous, and the response of her own coach was not supportive and in violation of the policy itself.

If I found that this was happening in my program, or if I saw signs that violations of policy were being encouraged or tolerated, I'd go to the Classroom Leader, and/or the Center Manager, and if I saw that the problem was being glossed over and covered up, I'd go to Corporate, as the Policy requires. I'd do that, even though I'm not a Program Leader yet, because the behavior, if accurately reported, harms everyone.

The response of another alleged ILP participant that this was all fine and normal, and blaming her for messing around, is even more outrageous. It is not fine, and it is not normal. ILP is an intense program and people do get close to each other, and that this might sometimes lead to other kinds of intimacy isn't surprising, but the policies about a coach dating a participant are clear, it is prohibited (and then possible exceptions are listed, having nothing to do with what is alleged here).

One of the commitments in ILP is to 100% integrity, and we are highly encouraged to not "step over" situations where we see another participant failing a commitment. It's not about blaming the person, or shaming them, but rather about mutual support for fulfillment of the goals of the program. I'm a very casual dresser, normally, but, last week, I pointed out to another participant that he was wearing jeans, contrary to a commitment. It served him and it served me. Now, how about "stepping over" a participant sexually harassing another? Would we strain at a gnat (jeans) and swallow a camel (seriously harmful behavior)?

The staff and assisting crew, everyone at a Center, tends to turn over rapidly. This report stands as a record of a kind of problem, years ago, that may no longer exist, or that may be less common. We don't know how common it really was, from an isolated report and two comments over many years. Landmark is, however, a human organization. Sometimes we fail our own ideals. Landmark remains the best option in its field. If I knew of a better one I'd be there in a flash.

It is a shame that this woman, who had benefited greatly from Landmark's programs, was stopped by this mess, and the mess would include what happened to her, and her own response -- or lack of same. Her coach failed her and her Program leader failed her, and Landmark owes her an apology, and, on behalf of Landmark (though I'm not formally authorized yet), I do apologize. This should never happen again, and I thank her for her courage in reporting it here.

I also encourage her, if she reads this, to talk about what happened with the Landmark Director of Human Resources. It is never too late to complete something.

 I saw similar experiences as the poster in the same program. 

In the Introduction Leaders Program I attended, many of the participants were having multiple affairs with each other. One was selling a fraudulent financial product he was later sued for. Another coach was actually caught telling another man how to manipulate the girls and how easy it was to get laid. There have been a number of men that have coaxed very personal information out of women only to turn around and use it against them. The higher ups only rarely get involved but most of the time they just tell you, the woman, it is because you are responsible. Oh yeah and one last one, one of their introduction leaders I met is a pretty racist guy. Real quality people...

They very much walk the line of the legal definition of a cult. They don't technically isolate you from your family because they very much want to sign up your family too! It cant be isolation if the whole family is involved!

When you do the Forum, there is someone in the back of the room called a Course Supervisor. He is actually required by Landmark policy to note all the medical professionals in the room. When you register you fill out a form which includes your profession and someone literally makes a list of all the people who work in the medical field and hands it to the leaders. Why would someone need to do this in a 'harmless self development course.' 

I hate to sound so negative but I think this organization does so much more harm than good!

Oh and for the poster, not only does that happen in Los Angeles, but on the East Coast as well. You are not alone for sure

Of course participants get hit on by coaches when you take courses at Landmark Education, but only because it's such a great way to get laid! Hell, it's half the reason you work as a coach.

I love meeting people in the courses I take and some times I meet them while I'm coaching and they are a particpant. And yes sometimes it gets out of hand and yes some of the coaches there are dogs about it, but that doesn't mean you should go online and start bad mouthing folks.

What you need to do is just take responsibility for the fact that you messed around on your man and clean it up with him, not the world wide web.