For those who think that NXIVM is dead – and that we can all move on to other battles—think again.
Just last Sunday came more proof that even though some of the leaders of the NXIVM criminal enterprise have been taken down, the entity itself is still alive (In that way, I guess NXIVM is really more like a worm than a snake).
That’s when the Daily Caller revealed in a feature piece that Rainbow Cultural Garden (RCG) operations are still going strong in several locations.
Raniere founded the first RCG operation in 2006 in Clifton Park, NY. At the time, he described it as “a “revolutionary child development program promoting children’s cultural, linguistic, emotional, physical and problem-solving potential” – and claimed it could teach children as young as 2 to be simultaneously fluent in as many as seven languages.
As unbelievable as it may sound, this total sham of a child development program – which is really nothing more than a scientific experiment dreamt up by Keith Raniere and promoted by Dr. Brandon Porter, Raniere’s later-day version of Josef Mengele – is still being operated in several locations.
As reported by the Daily Caller, an investigation undertaken by the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) found that Raniere’s followers are still operating RCG programs in France and Guatemala – and that they still have a presence in the United Kingdom.
In addition to those operations, Frank Report has also confirmed that RCG is also still operating in Mexico.
The French Connection
According to the Daily Caller report, the RCG operation in France is run by a company named Athal Education Group (AEG) – which was founded by Sarah Bronfman and her husband, Basit Igtet.
In December 2018, AEG launched what it called its “Campus Beyond The School” program – which it claims “…will guide children as young as 2 years old to master their mind, body, expression and world as they are simultaneously taught German, English, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, Japanese and Russian”.
In addition to its founders’ ties to NXIVM, several of RCG’s staff also have ties to the cult.
They include Edith Alcaino, the school’s Multicultural Director – and its Arabic teacher, Elias Boukhari. Both of them were pictured in the September 2018 issue of L’Aptesien.
Another AEG school employee with NXIVM ties is Baron Stewart, who has stated on his personal blog that he has “adopted Keith Raniere” as a member of his family. He teaches math and science at the school.
*****
The British Connection
Sarah Bronfman is also the head of RCG’s operation in England – which is jointly owned by Events for Humanity, one of the business entities that was identified by the prosecutors in Raniere’s trial as having ties to NXIVM, and The Capital international Trust, which is based in Seychelles.
According to Sarah, “Children in our programme speak four to seven languages fluently”. At least that’s what she claimed in a July 2017 interview with Quintessentially Education.
Sarah went on to explain that the current RCG operation operates more like an alternative to nannies rather than a separate school.
“Here in London, we offer Rainbow as a bespoke, in-home service with plans to launch our fully fledged programme in the next year”, she explained. “This service replaces a nanny or other childcare options from as early as three months to school age and beyond”.
Sarah went on to describe a typical day for a child who is enrolled in the RCG program. “As an example, a child might have a Spanish development specialist from 8 – 11am, Chinese Mandarin from 11am – 2pm, and Russian from 2 – 5pm each day of the week, to introduce age-appropriate exercises in each language”.
Sarah also proved to be almost as good a liar as Raniere – especially when she described the credentials of the program’s Multicultural Development Specialists in London: “All of our development specialists have undergone a rigorous examination process and they all have enhanced background checks and paediatric first-aid training. Above all, though – they genuinely love nothing more than to be with children”.
Unfortunately, that last line might be true…
The RCG operation in London was investigated by the Office of Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills back in 2017-2018. But the agency closed its investigation when it learned that the parents of children who were enrolled in the program stayed in the home while the child was being tutored.
Several of the staff at the French operation are also involved in the British operation.
That includes Alcaino who serves as the Program Director for the British operation – and Boukhari who serves as its Recruiter and Human Resources Coordinator.
*****
The Guatemalan Connection
It also appears that there is another RCG school currently operating in Guatemala City.
Although it operates under the name Sunshines Multicultural Academy, it previously used the RCG logo – and referred to its students as “Rainbow kids”.
The Guatemalan operation stripped all the “Rainbow” references from its Facebook page – and from its advertising – in September 2018, about six months after Raniere was arrested in Mexico.
When asked about the school’s curriculum, Michelle Luttmann, a spokesperson for the school responded by saying that “We teach Mandarin, Russian, English (England) and Hindi, with native teachers of the country.”
But when asked whether the school had any ties to RCG, Luttmann did not respond.
*****
The Mexican Connection
Our sources indicate that RCG is still operating in Mexico. But we will be doing a more in-depth report on what’s going on there in the near future.
In the meantime, we have heard several reports about parents who decided to pull their children out of a Mexican RCG school – and place them in private or public schools.
Apparently, those parents are having a very difficult time finding a school that will accept any child who has previously been enrolled in a Rainbow Cultural Garden school.
Seems the schools are worried about the status of the former RCG students – and whether they will be able to fit in with the schools’ other students.
*****
Former Member Speaks Out Against Rainbow Cultural Gardens
Ariella Menashy, a former member of NXIVM who once was interested in opening her own RCG operation in Vancouver, confirmed that the AEG operation in France “100% sounds like Rainbow” – and that the languages it teaches are the same ones offered by RCG.
Menashy also confirmed that Bronfman, Igtet, Alcaino, Boukhari, and Stewart all have NXIVM ties. She saw Bronfman, Igtet and Stewart at V-Week celebrations – and attended a “Family Values Intensive” with Alcaino and Boukhari back in 2015.
Menashy made it clear that she thought it was inappropriate for RCG schools to still be in operation.
“Just stop this ridiculousness of propagating the ideas of a sociopath,” she said. “There’s really no question at this point [Raniere] has bad intent.”
*****
Others Also Speak Out Against Rainbow Cultural Gardens
Rick Ross, an expert on cult operations, suggested that all the RCG operations should be shut down.
“If there is any school or camp that is connected to NXIVM, the philosophy of rational inquiry, and the ideas of Keith Raniere, parents and families should stay away from those schools and camps and should be made aware of their notorious history,” Ross said. “Child protection officials should be looking very closely at those schools.”
Frank Parlato, the publisher of this blog, was also questioned by the Daily Caller during the course of its investigation of RCG.
“I think the real thing to focus on, the real terrible thing, is that these kids are being abused,” Parlato said. “Their parents are still believers in Keith’s ideas and greatness”, he added.
“These children are being raised by a series of strangers, who are not highly paid, who are speaking to them in different languages every day,” Parlato said. “And the kids don’t get a rest, they don’t get the opportunity to just talk with their mother or be with their father.”
*****
Some Personal Thoughts
When I first heard about the Rainbow Cultural Garden operation in Clifton Park, I was horrified.
I had seen this type of operation before – and knew exactly what kind of mind-control opportunities it presented.
During the period of time that I served as the Director of the Missouri Department of Social Services, I became very familiar with several militia groups in the Northwest quadrant of the state that had set up their own “schools” so that their children would not have to attend public schools.
Along with the Missouri Department of Education, we undertook a detailed investigation of these “schools”.
What we found is that they did not qualify as home-schools because they did not have any curriculum or qualified teaching staff. Nor did they qualify as daycare centers because they lacked properly trained staff – and adequate facilities for the number of children attending them.
We also found that these “schools” were essentially indoctrination camps that were focused on preparing children to become members of the various militias operating them.
With the assistance of the Attorney General, we shut these operations down. But not before several of us received death threats.
I tried everything I could think of to get the RCG operation in Clifton Park shut down.
But no one wanted to take on NXIVM.
Not the then-New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
Not the New York State Department of Children & Family Services.
Not the Saratoga County Department of Social Services.
And certainly not the New York State Police – and its esteemed Senior Investigator Rodger Kirsopp.
*****
One of the primary reasons why Kristin Keeffe decided to flee from Raniere and NXIVM is because of her concerns about the effects that the Rainbow Cultural Garden training was having on her son.
That took a lot of guts – especially knowing how Raniere reacted to others who had left him.
Kudos for her doing what she did – and good luck to her and her son as they try to overcome the harm that Raniere did to both of them.
Frank Parlato 
Janine Morrison 
J.J. O'Hara 
Richard Luthmann 
Marie White 
Paul Serran
Please leave a comment: Your opinion is important to us!
I have worked for RCG. Pretty strange place I have to say.
Bravo Daily Caller for keeping the spotlight on this atrocious garbage.
J.J.O’Hara,
Excellent reporting!!! You certainly did your research, it must have taken some time. Thanks!
Raniere’s school seems to use the same strategy of separating the parents from their children as the strategy employed by The Children of God.
NXIVM and RCG will never choose to dissolve themselves, or shut down. Cults never do. They will burrow deeper and deeper underground and move locations as often as they need to. They will change the names of their operations, and move to countries where their they are less likely to be noticed.
The only solution is to bring charges against the specific individuals involved.
Even though extradition may be impossible in certain cases, it might be possible to encourage local agencies to act on breaches of local laws.
Concerning France, here is the site FB ATHAL EDUCATION GROUP:https://www.facebook.com/Le-Campus-dApt-586093735186217/ and for the French-speaking people this very interesting and rather surprising article where we learn that money dazzles (oh surprise) our dear leaders:
Les gazettes locales viennent de rendre compte, photos à l’appui, de la visite de Mme le Maire d’un “centre éducatif et professionnel pour tout âge”, le 15 décembre dernier, bulbeusement baptisé “Le Campus – Au delà de l’école”, lors d’une journée “Portes ouvertes”. Plus qu’une visite, une véritable inauguration officielle par le premier magistrat de la ville, ciseaux et ruban de circonstance.
Vartigué ! un “Campus” à Apt, cité vauclusienne de douze mille âmes, quelle chance, quel honneur, quelle protubérance ! Voici la capitale du Luberon promue centre universitaire ! Et puis “campus” c’est smarteux, c’est romain, ça fait américain. Quel chic, ce “nouveau concept éducatif”, cet “Au delà de l’école” étrange et pénétrant ! Dans quel autre monde post solaire, à travers quel karma, vers quelle vérité de ce côté-ci des Pyrénées (dont Pascal disait pourtant qu’elle était erreur au-delà), vont cheminer nos futurs porteurs de faluches ?
Il s’agit, selon la presse, d’un centre éducatif et professionnel pour tout âge dont l’hospitalité est le socle. Pèlerins, voyageurs et indigents y viendront, sans doute, pour apprendre à apprendre (c’est à la mode depuis près de cinquante ans) et pour apprendre à accueillir pour mieux vivre ensemble (le “vivre ensemble” genre turlututaine fatiguée).
Il se définit comme un complément à l’école “traditionnelle”(sic) avec ateliers d’immersion linguistique et culturelle ouvert pour les tout petits de 2 et 3 ans jusqu’à 18 ans et plus, les adultes étant concernés pour les besoins d’un projet professionnel. L’objectif est de “permettre aux enfants d’atteindre l’excellence, grâce à une pédagogie alternative qui privilégie les langues et la culture mais aussi l’art, la nature et l’environnement”, dixit sa directrice.
Pour l’enseignement des langues, viendront des maîtres-nageurs allochtones, pleins de pureté linguistique et culturelle, anglais, russes, chinois, japonais, espagnols, arabes et allemands (et pas italiens ? bon…). Et, en partenariat avec l’école hôtelière de Lausanne, le lycée Alexandre Dumas de Cavaillon étant beaucoup plus éloigné…en terme de prestige, on pourra suivre une formation bi-qualifiante cuisine et management…en trois mois.
Ainsi, à côté d’une école publique gratuite, laïque et souffreteuse, ici tout sera luxe, calme et volupté. Et les archéo aptésiens qui fatrassent à vouloir sauver de la destruction un vieux bâtiment historique*, pourront s’esbaudir en traversant la place Cély au pied d’une tour de Babel alternative généreusement dressée vers le ciel provençal.
Urbi et orbi, notre Maire applaudit, c’est fun, c’est happy, c’est new age ! Et ça va ruisseler grave, créer de l’emploi (à terme, paraît-il), gonfler le Calavon, on a du lourd, du potentiel, pas du tout “gilets jaunes”, plutôt genre “art, nature et création”…Comme le Loup de la fable, on se forge une félicité, on pleure de tendresse.
Chemin faisant, d’autres hésitent, s’interrogent. On songe à la grenouille à l’hubris éclatant. Qui sont donc les promoteurs de ce projet si cérémonieusement accueillis ?
Mazette, une certaine SARL, “Athal Education group – Université du Luberon”, sis au domaine des Andéols à Saint-Saturnin-Les-Apt, créée le 18 juin 2018, attelée à “Athal Hospitality”, basée à Zurich, dont l’homme d’affaires Basit Igtet et sa femme Sara Bronfmann sont les fondateurs et les investisseurs philanthropes qui “inscrivent l’art au coeur d’une expérience hôtelière réinterprétée” (sic). Hôtellerie “de luxe”, vous l’avez compris.
C’est dans ce monde magique et haut de gamme que nos (quelques) bienheureux enfants et adolescents aptésiens pourront désormais s’immerger, s’hospitaliser et bénéficier d’une pédagogie “alternative… inspirée de Rudolf Steiner.”
Eh…connaissez-vous Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925)? Un intellectuel, philosophe et occultiste autrichien, fondateur de l’anthroposophie (sic), une doctrine “spirituelle”, un courant ésotérique et pseudo-scientifique, critiqué en raison des croyances et risques de dérive sectaire qu’il peut susciter, dit-on. Judicieuse “inspiration” donc !
Mais, vous les parents, nulle crainte : l’établissement, pardon, le “campus”, est agréé par le Ministère…des sports. (?)
Mais que fait donc l’Education nationale ?
Justement, justement, comme le déclare notre édile, l’Education nationale a décidé de fermer méchammant l’école des Romarins et la mairie a loué ses locaux, après les avoir “rafraîchis”, au groupe privé Athal…pour qu’ils ne restent pas une “coquille creuse”. Quel symbole !
Ainsi, en même temps que l’inauguration d’une école privée, pardon, d’un “campus”, à but lucratif en grand tralala, un coup de griffe sans vergogne au service public d’éducation.
Mais, diantre, si l’on a fermé quatre classes dans les écoles primaires d’Apt à la rentrée 2018, c’est que leurs effectifs étaient en chute libre ! Une baisse démographique dans les écoles de la ville liée à la situation socio-économique dégradée de ses habitants. Ce n’est pas pour rien que le centre ancien est classé quartier prioritaire dans le contrat de ville avec un taux de pauvreté de 45%.
Et qu’a-t-on fait pour la maîtrise des dérogations sortantes en partenariat avec les communes environnantes; pour le maintien de la subvention municipale attribuée au titre du réseau de réussite scolaire et qui permet un accompagnement éducatif et culturel par la Ville en partenariat avec l’Education nationale; pour le basculement de la subvention communale non obligatoire attribuée à l’école privée en faveur des écoles publiques (on ne peut pas à la fois prétendre défendre l’école publique et contribuer au développement de l’école privée concurrente); pour l’élaboration d’un véritable Projet éducatif territorial dynamique, en concertation avec tous les acteurs concernés et qui fasse de l’école publique la priorité de l’action municipale; pour une politique du logement attractive (rénovation de l’habitat ancien, construction de logements sociaux) susceptible d’attirer les jeunes parents ? Peu de choses.
Alors, que l’on cesse de nous empétuner en se défaussant de ses responsabilités, de se prosterner devant le monde de la frime et du fric, alors que l’on est sensé représenter et promouvoir le service public, car, c’est en bafouant ostensiblement le principe de laïcité, fût-ce à l’occasion d’un évènement local affable et bon enfant, qu’on ouvre les portes à des errements politiques dévastateurs.
“La laïcité est un idéal de liberté, d’égalité et d’universalité”. (Henri Pena-Ruiz)
Pas moins.
[…] Rainbow Cultural Garden – Alive and Well and Living in France (and Other Places) […]
Just when I think that Clare is the dumber of the two, Sara comes through and does something that only a person with an IQ of 60 could do. How is this not shut down? How could any parents allow their kids to attend this? Why aren’t governments stopping this? Doesn’t Sara know what’s happened to Keith and her sister? WTF. These people are truly horrible and horrific.
Are there Hitler Jugend similarities?
[…] Rainbow Cultural Garden – Alive and Well and Living in France (and Other Places) […]
Joe is wasting his time writing about RCG.
It’s a case of much ado about nothing.
Hey Joe.
RCG was basically an overpriced day care center for kids of NXIVM DEVOTEES who had extra money to burn.
This was not a school for normal kids in the community.
The parents were NXIVM WACKADOODLES who gave parental consent to have their kids attend RCG with all of it’s weird language teachings, cult classes, etc.
It doesn’t matter that it’s not a normal school.
Guess what, Joe?
Amish parents send their kids to medieval schools which indoctrinate them into the Amish cult (religion) which teaches them that anything modern is evil. They also end schooling after an 8th grade education and begin working. Is that fair to the kids? Is that a normal curriculum?
Nope. But with parental consent it’s legal.
I seriously doubt that any of those kids were physically harmed at RCG.
They may have been indoctrinated into cult mentality, and perhaps Keith intended to harm them when they got older, but speculation like that is worthless and not something to create an indictment.
You’re largely blowing smoke up our asses, Joe.
You, Frank and H3 (Hobo Heidi Hutchinson) are always harping about RCG and how evil it is. But in reality, it’s just an overpriced NXIVM bootcamp for toddlers paid for by NXIVM devotees with more money than brain cells.
These are not schools that appeal to regular kids or non NXIVM families.
They are not infiltrating our communities.
This was a waste of an article, Joe. Frankly it’s a turd of an article.
Frank is so desperate to link RCG to nefarious activity that he’ll support any wackadoodle article that portrays RCG in a negative light. Frank is not being a journalist here.
Gimme facts, Frank.
Frank, Joe and H3 can all kiss my butt on this topic.
Yes it’s me, Frank. Not trying to hide. Writing style gives me away.
Just wanted a new name. 🙂
Does the French Government think so poorly of their children that they will let two spoiled trust fund brats open up a cult educational school for children that has no proof what so ever behind it?
“Where is the French Government”
Isn’t the French government giving sanctuary to Roman Polanski who drugged and raped a 14 year old girl?
You are so oblivious to the Facts…
First, they didn’t give sanctuary; Roman Polanski had only 1 sanctuary, it’s Switzerland.
As a French-Polish Citizen, both countries have in their constitution that as a Citizen of the country, he can’t be extradited…
It’s a common rule that many countries (including the USA) have.
So it’s perfectly normal for both Poland and France not to accept extradition.
Now Switzerland had no reason to refuse extradition except being assholes.
Back in the ’80s, Germany did the same with a “famous” doctor who was drugging his underaged victims…France tried to obtain Germany to extradite the guy and it was refused for the same reason.
In the end, the doctor was brought illegally back in France (by the dad of an underage victim who unfortunately died)…He was punished for the kidnapping (as he paid someone to do it) but barely (and rightfully barely, he fought so hard for justice that he shouldn’t have been punished at all)…
The doctor is still in prison (despite his many try to be released).
As unfair as it seems, this is in the constitution of MANY countries and even if the authorities could accept the request, they usually Don’t because of “human rights”.
Have you tried to get the Clifton Park school shut down more recently, such as after the guilty verdict?
Yeah, the fact that Rainbow continues to operate in France under Sara, and her husband came to support Clare in a court appearance tells me Clare’s guilty plea was nothing but crocodile tears. She hasn’t told the truth yet, and has no intention to.
And, seriously what makes anyone think two barely high school graduates and their bottom feeder college graduate mentor, who NEVER studied education, know how to create an educational program that teaches kids to be multilingual, empathetic, scientist world rulers of the future?
What a load of shite.