Civics

Lawsuit: Former New England College leader claims discrimination, emotional distress after ouster

Perkins alleges she was unexpectedly released by New England College, in Henniker, in April during an online meeting “in a humiliating and crude manner,” according to her lawsuit. She alleges her firing was the culmination of a campaign of misogyny and a culture of gender bias among certain top officials at the school she led for more than a decade. READ MORE

Culture

Canterbury church offering hallucinogenic tea has gained a following. But pastor says his time in town is running out

His new world continues to revolve around ayahuasca, a tea brewed from a combination of plants native to South America that its adherents say has healing properties. Januszewski, 46, with tattooed arms and a trimmed beard, is the pastor of Pachamama Sanctuary, a religious organization he founded off of a wooded road in Canterbury that serves ayahuasca to its guests several times each month. Since opening in 2019, Januszewski says he has welcomed close to 2,000 people to the three-bedroom house he rents for a weekend of psychedelic exploration. READ MORE