Spencer Schneider's Blog, page 5

Painting by Misterdavid

The folk painter, Misterdavid, shared his painting of Sharon Gans, which he painted while reading Manhattan Cult Story.

UPDATE: French Evangelical Church at 126 W 16th Street

A few days ago I alerted the French Evangelical Church at 126 W 16th Street that they were renting out their meeting space to a dangerous cult. I provided information and details to Church Trustee Daniel Nicolas. He informed me that he thought the cult was just a "writer's group." Still he said he would conduct an "investigation and take the appropriate action." Whatever that means. The Church has not responded to follow-up emails.

Odyssey Study Group cult still going strong after death of charismatic leader Sharon Gans

I want to save lives and the only way I can think of is to tell my story. Thanks to the NY Post for spreading the word with the second article in two weeks. The reporter, Isabel Vincent, is first-rate, and is the first reporter to delve into the background of the leaders. Thank you Isabel. 

French Evangelical Church at 126 W 16th Street

The Sharon Gans cult still meets in secret locations in NYC. Cultrevolt.com has learned of one such place. The cult poses to the church as a "writer's group," so do not blame the Church (up to now).  The Church is located at 126 W 16th Street. If you have been going to evening meetings there, or are invited, run, don't walk. This group is very dangerous. 


 

Mystery Leaders: Minerva Taylor and Greg Koch

 

"Memoir by Sharon Gans’ NYC cult member exposes fight clubs and broken lives"

Journalist Heather Robinson interviewed me a few weeks ago for this article. We spent 90 minutes talking about my book but also about how half the country thinks the other half is in a cult and that half of the country is right. I hope current members come across this article and can free themselves. 

A Little Bit Culty Podcast - Part 2

A listener of the podcast reached out to tell me that in 2010 she was recruited by a friend to join an "esoteric group" in NYC, but was spooked by all the secrecy requirements. Luckily she didn't go. I confirmed for her that her friend is in fact a member of the Gans Cult. The whole experience left her uneasy and Im grateful that speaking out has helped her to gain some closure. 

A Little Bit Culty Podcast

The NXIVM whistleblowers -- Sarah Edmondson and Anthony Ames -- who also star in HBO's The Vow, interviewed me for their podcast. I hope you can listen to some or all. 

The Actress

Sharon created a make-believe world for herself. She believed –– I heard her say this –– as a character in a "Shakespeare tragedy." In her final performance, Sharon plays King Lear. In her adaptation of the classic, she bequeaths zilch to her two biological children because they "betrayed" her. Instead (as first reported on these pages) she leaves her multimillion dollar estate –– all of it stolen money –– to her certifiably demented step-son (Michael Horn), and other assorted bootlickers. 

Class Action Lawsuit: Update

Fearful to testify under oath about School and to turn over School's financial records, defendants Greg Koch, Lorraine Imlay, Minerva Taylor, Ken Salaz, OSG, and the Estate for Sharon Gans have made a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.  Koch, Imlay, Taylor and Salaz ("KITS") inherited OSG from Sharon Gans.

In its motion, KITS expresses annoyance that that the suit contains "scandalous, prejudicial, and completely unsupported allegations" and frets that the lawsuit mentions the "scurrilous" 2019 New York Post feature about School.

The class action, which seeks to reimburse victims who were duped into being unpaid servants for Gans, is dubbed a "shakedown" by KITS. These victims are, according to KITS, people who are "apparent[ly] disappoint[ed] in how their lives turned out." 

Sounding a lot like Sharon who tormented and publicly humiliated her followers, KITS says that the plaintiffs who brought the suit "seek to blame their apparent lack of self-improvement upon OSG and other study group participants." 

Finally, in complete contradiction to what they told me for 23 years, KITS argues that the aims of School –– to evolve/improve –– are "impossible to measure" and "wholly subjective." 

In closing, KITS says that, "at best, this case is about unmet hopes and expectations." 

The motion is now before the Honorable Justice Lori S. Sattler and is sub judice.