Culture of Harm
I THRIVE's creator was originally inspired to pursue this work after witnessing the difficulty that survivors of violence often have being believed and gaining resources and assistance in regard to reporting sexual harassment, stalking, physical, and sexual abuse in the aftermath of violence. Over time we expanded our mission from sexual assault survivor advocacy to include provision of resources for all survivors of trauma and mental illness, however our advocacy for survivors of sexual and domestic violence remain a cornerstone of our work and efforts.
As a resident of Utah and a former student at the University of Utah, I THRIVE's creator experienced first hand the mishandling of stalking and sexual harassment complaints present at the University's training sites during her psychiatric residency 2015-2019. Over the years she has witnessed repeated episodes of high profile murder, domestic violence, and sex abuse throughout University of Utah training sites and surrounding community (Lauren McCluskey 2018, Zhifon Dong 2021, the abuses named here 2020-2024). I THRIVE's creator learned the extremis of the University of Utah's efforts to hide rape, abuse, and their role in allowing repeated harm and violations against women and children in Utah during her advocacy 2021-2023.
I THRIVE honors the lives of those harmed at University of Utah training sites and in the surrounding community.
This page is dedicated in remembrance to them.
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16 year old Om Gandhi was murdered May 13, 2023 by his father, nationally recognized psychedelic therapist, Parth Gandhi PhD.
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Om was killed amidst a custody battle and ongoing serial sex assault investigation against his father Parth Gandhi PhD.
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Parth had been reported as potentially murderous by I THRIVE's creator to >10 University of Utah doctors seeking their assistance to report Parth late summer 2021, greater than 1.5 years before Om's murder.
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Parth had been reported as sexually dangerous to the University of Utah (Paul Carlson MD) April 2022. Despite these warnings Parth was allowed to present at the University of Utah Generation's conference May 2022, a month before completing his final reported rape June 2022.
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Parth had also been reported as abusive, sexually violent, and prospectively murderous by his former wife Leah Moses to the family courts and local police multiple times over the 13 year period prior to Om's death.
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I THRIVE believes that Om Gandhi's murder and serial sex assault in Utah could have been prevented had the University of Utah, its faculty, and local police appropriately intervened on I THRIVE's reports against Parth and associated University faculty 2021-2023.
The University of Utah's role in the Parth Gandhi PhD murder-suicide and serial sex assault cases
The University of Utah Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) was informed that Parth Gandhi PhD was potentially murderous 19 months before he completed murder-suicide against his 16 year old son Om Gandhi. They were notified that Parth was sexually dangerous 2 months before Parth's final reported sexual assault. The University of Utah and its physician faculty made no effort to report Parth Gandhi PhD throughout the course of these proceedings. Furthermore, the University of Utah and its faculty made multiple threats and accusations against I THRIVE's creator in an effort to cover these crimes, thereby limiting her credibility with police, local, and federal authorities, such that I THRIVE's creator struggled to secure investigations that could have protected the Utah community from additional harm, rape, and eventual murder. The University continued to work with and affiliate with Parth through July 2022 despite receiving active reports that he was dangerous beginning August 2021. Failing to intervene to protect against loss of life and recurrent rape in Utah, the University of Utah went on to intimidate, harass, and to threaten to criminally cite I THRIVE's creator multiple times from 2021-2024 for her efforts to protect the Utah community, highlighting the active efforts taken by the University of Utah and its doctors to cover up sexual abuse, harm, and murder in Utah.
**Disclaimer: While we observe the abhorrent behavior of selected peers below, it is important to note that Huntsman Mental Health Institute is in fact supported by many excellent clinicians and providers. Some of those named here remain in many regards excellent. This said it is important to note these provider's ethical failings to ensure the safe implementation of the psychedelic sciences and for the protection of our community moving forward.
The University of Utah's Failures of Accountability
Head of University of Utah General Council Scott Smith JD attempted to criminally cite I THRIVE's creator for exposing their abuses, ethics violations and their role in the Parth Gandhi PhD murder-suicide and sex assault cases May 14, 2024.
The Salt Lake City Police Department indicated I THRIVE's creator had committed no crime.
In University of Utah General Counsel Scott Smith JD's contact to I THRIVE's creator he feigned to have no prior knowledge of who Parth was, despite I THRIVE's creator having reported Parth Gandhi PhD's violations to University of Utah staff and Scott multiple times in the preceding 3 year period.
Scott went on to state the University had no affiliations with Parth, despite the evidence below and Scott knowing that Parth was acknowledged in the faculty disclosures for the May 9, 2022 University of Utah sponsored Generations conference , a month prior to Parth's final rape and a month post I THRIVE's warning to Paul Carlson MD of the University of Utah that Parth was sexually dangerous.
It is pertinent to note that a University of Utah psychology student completed her internship at Parth's clinic 2020-2021 (unnamed here to protect her privacy), underscoring additional University affiliations. University of Utah Utah Psychedelic Science Interest Group founder Benjamin Lewis MD is also known to have had affiliations with Parth with multiple witnesses attesting that Parth attended previous UPSI events where his work was acknowledged.
It is clear the University of Utah intends to deny all charges and put the burden of proof on those harmed by Parth Gandhi PhD demanding accountability. We've gone ahead and provided some collateral evidence below revealing the University of Utah's lies as well as the TRUTH. Learn more HERE.
I THRIVE Supports Survivors and Their Families
Our hearts go out to the survivors of these tragedies.
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Zhifan Dong was a 19 year old University of Utah first year art student from China. She was murdered by her former boyfriend Feb 11, 2022.
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Prior to her death the University of Utah was aware that student Zhifan Dong believed she was in danger.
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Zhifan and her roommate had each reported episodes of domestic violence to University housing, alleging Zhifan's partner had hit her at the time of their break-up and that she feared his behaviors may escalate the weeks before her murder.
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In July 2022, the University of Utah acknowledged their failure to protect Zhifan releasing documents that revealed University housing employees (once again) had failed to respond to reports of intimate partner violence with reported potential for escalation, despite Zhifan's efforts to secure a protective order against the man who had harmed her and who lived in her same dormitory.
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Similar to the murder of student-athlete Lauren McCluskey (discussed below) three years before Zhifan's death, Zhifan was murdered by the man she had reported to the University of Utah as dangerous prior to her murder.
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Zhifan was the only child of parents Junfang Shen and Mingsheng Dong. In a statement released to the Salt Lake Tribune in 2022, they stated “We trusted the University of Utah with our daughter’s safety, and they betrayed that trust. They knew Zhifan was in serious danger but failed to protect her when she needed it the most. We do not want her death to be in vain.”
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Zhifan will be remembered in the Utah community as an aspiring artist and a light that was extinguished well before her time.
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Lauren McCluskey was a 21 year old student-athlete at the University of Utah who was murdered on University campus by her former boyfriend October 22, 2018.
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In the weeks prior to Lauren's murder, two of her friends had reported that they worried about her safety in setting of conversations her former boyfriend was having related to guns, citing concerns they had for his control over Lauren. Housing officials failed to forward these reports to University police despite their knowledge that multiple peers and Lauren were concerned that she may be hurt.
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Approximately 2 weeks prior to her murder, Lauren learned that her prior boyfriend had lied about his identity and that he was a registered sex offender. The following day Lauren's mother called University security requesting chaperone to assist Lauren to retrieve her car from her prior partner.
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Lauren made her initial contact with University police 10 days before her murder reporting she felt that her former partner's friends were making effort to lure her out of her dorm, to potentially harm her. 3 days later she called again to report that her former partner was making efforts to extort Lauren, threatening to release nude photos of her.
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Officer Miguel Deras took McClusky's reports. He requested copies of the explicit photos Lauren had shared with her former partner, downloading them to his personal phone and boasting about this to his colleagues. Deras never investigated Lauren's complaints. University police also failed to report Lauren's concerns to her former partner's parole office, a mistake that would cost Lauren her life.
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In the days leading up to Lauren's murder, the detective assigned to her case was investigating other cases. She told Lauren she was leaving out of town and would return Oct 23.
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On October 22 Lauren was confronted by her former partner in the parking lot of her University of Utah dormitory, where her former partner shot and killed Lauren.
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Lauren's death prompted a massive overhaul of University of Utah safety protocols and the establishment of The University of Utah Center for Violence Prevention. Lauren's parents went on to establish The McCluskey Foundation, a national 501c3 dedicated to raising awareness for campus stalking and intimate partner violence.
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Lauren is remembered in the Utah community as a talented young woman and student-athlete whose life was needlessly cut short. Her death has inspired national changes to campus safety protocols. Her legacy lives on through the lives that her foundation continues to reach and in the heart of her parents, Jill and Matthew McCluskey, who continue to advocate for women across the country on their daughter's behalf.
I THRIVE Supports Survivors
