Reprinted from JZ Knight’s website.
Copyright 2011 JZ Knight. Used with permission.

This Letter to the Editor was submitted on June 9 in response to an editorial by Nisqually Valley News [NVN] Publisher/Editor Keven Graves he published on June 3:

Dear Editor:

As reported by the Associated Press* and numerous other media outlets, the Thurston County Sheriffs office has ruled the death of Sally Paulsen as an unfortunate accident. In your June 3 editorial, why did you insinuate that Sally died under unusual circumstances? In the news article in the same issue, why did the reporter prematurely draw inappropriate and unsubstantiated conclusions between Sally and Ramthas School of Enlightenment?

I consider all the students in this school so very unique, rare, and such a gift to their family, friends, and community that the loss of such a precious student as Sally hurts my heart.

An NVN reporter called my staff on May 25 at 11 a.m. for comment before the Sheriff released Sallys name or any of the circumstances surrounding her death. For my staff to not comment before the facts were made public by the Sheriffs office was totally appropriate and respectful. Your criticism of me and/or my spokesperson for not offering condolences at that time was unreasonable given that Sallys body had not yet been identified. Also, to correlate this Schools food storage practices with Sallys death prior to the release of the information from the Sheriffs office would have been imprudent speculation, as stated by my staff.

If an NVN reporter wanted information about RSEs food storage practices, a two-second online search with the words Ramtha, food storage would list many pages of links about this Schools practices. Click here for Ramthas thoughts about food storage: http://www.ramtha.com/newsletter/vol5/issue4/SP3.html

Finally, my spokesperson was in contact with the executor of Sallys estate immediately after the Sheriff identified her body, and my staff has been supportive of all efforts to assist her friends and family. The fact that our press release did not reach you in time for your print deadline is no excuse for your reckless statement.

JZ Knight

* Read more from the Associated Press.

UPDATE: June 10, 4pm
A Letter to the Editor was published in the print & online editions of the NVN sent by Carlos Perez and titled: “Why was RSE tie relevant to death report”
Read more

Perez’s Letter to the Editor was abridged by the newspaper. The unabridged version is printed here, with permission of Mr. Perez.
Read more

UPDATE: June 16, 2011, 3pm
NVN Editor/Publisher Graves responded to Knight’s letter.

Editors Note:
Frankly, a woman dying in a food storage barrel is an unusual event anywhere. Questions about recommended food storage practices in relation to the death of Sally Paulsen are entirely fair and reasonable. Any qualified spokesman for the Ramtha School of Enlightenment should be able to answer simple general questions about what the school advises its students about food storage practices. As I stated in my opinion column, Ms. Knights spokesman opted to be abrupt and unhelpful, only serving to raise more questions. The RSE spokesman plays games, and that was the issue addressed in my column.