Falun Gong-associated charter school chain (attempt)

“Falun Gong follower behind attempt to open six charter schools.” New York Daily News, 3/6/2013

A follower of a controversial Chinese movement whose last attempt to open a school was rejected is now seeking approval for six bilingual charters — even though her name isn’t on the application.

Lotus King Weiss is trying to open Confucius Teachings elementary, middle and high schools in Flushing and three others in Manhattan’s Chinatown in 2014. Applications are due April 15.

Weiss isn’t one of the 21 names on the letter of intent submitted last month to the SUNY Charter Schools Institute.

But Weiss told the Daily News on Wednesday that she suggested the idea to fellow Falun Gong practitioner Xiaoming Xu, the lead applicant for the Flushing schools. Since Xu doesn’t speak English well, Weiss said she’s working with Xu and will write the roughly 500-page application...

Xu confirmed in broken English that Weiss is the “manager” of the charters. But she denied the schools would teach Falun Gong.

“Not any religion here,” she said. “Not any political [sic] here.”

She also said some students could board there...