SOUTHBRIDGE - The Free Daist Communion of Massachusetts, a religious group seeking to buy the former LaSallette Mission off Durfee Street, was the target in 1985 of sexual misconduct accusations by former members in California.

While that information came to light here yesterday, the Hillside Road Neighborhood Association filed a petition regarding the mission containing more than 200 signatures with Town Manager Florence C. Chandler.

The petition seeks an environmental impact study because of concerns about traffic, drainage, sewage, conservation and historical impacts. The former mission is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The group is concerned more traffic might result from the proposed use. It also asked a public hearing be held on the matter.

Six former members of the California counterpart of a religious group claimed the group forced members to have sex in front of its leaders. One former woman member filed a lawsuit but a California court ruled she had no basis for bringing the action.

Asked about the allegations in California, Malcolm Burke, a spokesman for Free Daist Communion of Massachusetts, replied, "Those were all dismissed in court. You should be careful here. This was the worst journalism and it came out in one of the worst kind of papers," he said of coverage of the lawsuit.

Shortly after the woman sued the leaders, the sect countersued, claiming the members threatened to embarrass the organization if they weren't given money. In late 1985, a Marin, Calif., Superior Court judge ruled the woman had no basis for bringing the action.

RETIRED TO FIJI

The founder of the Massachusetts and California organizations, Franklin Jones, then retired to an island he owns in the Fiji Islands. He returned the following year with a new name and a new message: celibacy for all members, including married couples.

Jones also founded Advaitayana Buddhist Communion in California, formerly known as the Johannine Daist Communion. Jones was called Da Free John at the time.

Burke, in a telephone interview yesterday, said the organization's leader is Da Kalki, whose birth name is Franklin Jones. Jones, originally from Long Island, N.Y., also founded the California-based organization.

Burke said the organization is international, has about 1,200 members and holds property in Wellesley; Los Angeles, Calif.; Northern California; Seattle, Wash.; Melbourne, Australia; New Zealand; London; Washington, D.C., and Amsterdam.

He said it was formed in 1972 and has been in Massachusetts for about 12 years. He declined to discuss what type of religion it is or its tenets.

He said, "What we want to do in Southbridge is create a minor meditation retreat. We lead a private religious life and the public is not invited." He said Southbridge was chosen because "it's a quiet, rural environment. We have been good neighbors wherever we have been. We live a moral and very disciplined lifestyle. We are an authentic religious community."

Asked if the group still practices celibacy, Burke said, "You're going to have to read the book." He was referring to The Divine Emergence, which he said details the religion. He said that without reading the book, "You're going to distort who we are. It's very disturbing what the news media has done to minority religions," he added.

After the Hillside Road Neighborhood Association petition was filed with her yesterday, Town Manager Chandler said, "We will certainly take their concerns into consideration." She noted that town bylaws do not require a public hearing and there is not enough time to do so anyway because the town must make a decision on the matter by Monday. The application was filed with Building Inspector Nicola Tortis on Aug. 17 and by law he has 45 days in which to make a decision.

Paul A. Mills, neighborhood association spokesman, said last night that the "response from neighborhood association and the general public would indicate the town should seriously consider not making any decision," pending the environmental impact study and public hearing.