Lotus School for Excellence: Evidence of Affiliation with the Gulen Movement
by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools
Lotus is a publicly-funded charter school in Aurora, Colorado.
Hakan Batan
- Former Lotus School for Excellence board member
- Loaned Lotus School for Excellence $132,000 at 9.5% interest rate in May, June 2007. Loans mature in Oct 2013.
- President Colorado Turkish American Chamber of Commerce, a.k.a. CO-TA (this Gulenist organization has connections with the Northern Lights Society and the Niagara Foundation of Minnesota, both also Gulenist non-profits, through Murat Ergen)
Adnan Doyuran
- Principal, Lotus School for Excellence
- Principal, Momentum Middle School, San Diego (Gulen charter school which has since changed its name to Magnolia Science Academy San Diego)
- Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation, California (Gulenist non-profit)
- Dean of Academics at Magnolia Science Academy 1, Reseda, California (Gulen charter school)
- Petitioner, Sequoia Academy of Science, Gulen charter school proposed in 2006 by the Dialog Foundation (Dialog, a Gulenist non-profit, is now the Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation)
- Petitioner, Orange Science Academy, Gulen charter school proposed in 2006 (other petitioners: Ertan Salik, Saken Sherkhanov, Ali Gurel)
Varol Gurler
- Principal, Lotus School for Excellence, Aurora, Colorado
- Principal, Sonoran Science Academy Phoenix (Gulen charter school)
- Principal, Magnolia Science Academy 1 Reseda (Gulen charter school)
Alptekin Kavi
- Board member, Lotus School for Excellence
- Loaned Lotus School for Excellence $145,970 at interest rates up to 8.5%
- Tour guide on Gulenist Turkey trip (see travel blog of Alan Gottlieb, publisher of Education News Colorado)
Timur “Tim” Saka
- Founder, Lotus School for Excellence
- Teacher, Beehive Science and Technology Academy (Gulen charter school)
- Teacher, Magnolia Science Academy 1 Reseda (Gulen charter school)
- Principal, Magnolia Science Academy Santa Clara (Gulen charter school)
Emrah Turgut
- Petitioner, Lotus School for Excellence Longmont (proposed Gulen charter school)
- Rumi Club, University of Colorado (Gulenist organization; its website contains references to Fethullah Gulen and mentions that the club founders are inspired by him)
Zhandos Utegulov
- Founder, Board Member, Lotus School for Excellence
- Author, Fountain Magazine (the main US publication of the Gulen Movement; Fethullah Gulen writes the lead article of each issue)
- Multicultural Mosaic Foundation (Gulenist nonprofit)
- Member, Niagara Foundation Nebraska (Gulenist nonprofit)
Umit “Matt” Yapanel
- Founder, Board President, Lotus School for Excellence, Aurora
- Loaned $40000 to Lotus School in 2007 at 9.5% interest rate; loan matures Oct 30, 2013
- Petitioner, Lotus School for Excellence Longmont
- Petitioner, Lotus School for Excellence Jefferson County
- Director, Multicultural Mosaic Foundation (Gulenist nonprofit)
- Accord Institute for Education Research (Gulenist nonprofit)