Probe Into Child Labor At Controversial Cult's 9 NY Communities

ALBANY, NY — State Labor Department investigators are widening their investigation into the Twelve Tribes communities in New York based on preliminary findings from their visit to Common Sense Farm in Cambridge.

State officials said their probe was sparked by an Inside Edition investigative report that aired on Friday showing children as young as six years old being put to farm and factory work at the community, which is part of a controversial international Christian cult that has been accused of child abuse and slavery.

New York Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said Tuesday that a team from the department's Worker Protection unit conducted an on-site investigation. The preliminary results describe multiple violations involving 12 minors who were engaged in factory work, which is prohibited.

As a result of these violations, the DOL has opened cases that could result in significant fines in the tens of thousands of dollars.

“Every child under the age of 18 in this state has a right to be protected by the Child Labor Law, and we take our enforcement responsibilities seriously,” Reardon said in a statement. “Children are our most valuable asset and compliance with the Child Labor Law is not discretionary — it’s mandatory.”

DOL is also investigating the following Twelve Tribes-related entities across the state:

• Community in Coxsackie, 20 South River Street, Coxsackie
• Community in Oak Hill, Route 81 Box 81A, Oak Hill
• The Yellow Deli, 7771 State Route 81, Oak Hill
• The Yellow Deli, 134 Main St, Oneonta
• Community in Oneonta, 81 Chestnut Street, Oneonta
• Community in Ithaca, 119 3rd Street, Ithaca
• Maté Factor, 143 East State Street, Ithaca
• Community in Hamburg, 329 Buffalo St., Hamburg

Twelve Tribes describes itself as " a confederation of twelve self-governing tribes, composed of self-governing communities. We are disciples of the Son of God whose name in Hebrew is Yahshua. We follow the pattern of the early church in Acts 2:44 and 4:32, truly believing everything that is written in the Old and New Covenants of the Bible, and sharing all things in common." Members live together as extended family.

There are Twelve Tribes communities across the world, in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia, as well as Canada, Australia, Brazil and Argentina.

A 2016 article in the Daily Beast described child slavery and abuse as rampant inside the controversial cult.

It's not the first time the cult has been fined for labor-law violations. The New York Post reported it was finedin 2001 and 2006. The paper said Common Sense Farm packages beauty products for several major brands.

Adults at the farm told Inside Edition they do not have factories. See its full investigative report here.

As part of the investigation, Labor Department officials said they also educated the owners of Common Sense Farm about child labor standards.

New York has some of the best child labor protections in the U.S., labor officials said. The law restricts the hours that children can work, requires working papers for each child, limits the age at which children can perform certain types of work, prohibits assisting in dangerous occupations or using certain types of machinery, and imposes other requirements.

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