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July 24 in Scientology history

2021

1 year ago
-- Scientology is known for stalking people years after their involvement. Here's how they do it.
2021-07-24, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
You document hounds are really going to love us today. The "tl;dr" folks on the other hand, well, you're going to hate us. But even the impatient really should at least skim through the documents we have for you today, because we think they really illustrate the nature of Scientology in some key ways. What are we talking about? Well, you may remember that a former top OT Scientologist has recently been sending us some pristine, vintage documents in their collection that have been pretty interesting. We're still going through them, and for today we have a pretty remarkable 2009 packet that was in the collection.
Tags: 1952, 1970, 1999, 2009, Al Buttnor, Central Files, Gregg Hagglund, High Crime, Jon Atack, Keep Scientology Working, OT, Ottawa, Peter Ramsay, Quicky, Toronto

2020

2 years ago
-- Regraded Being
2020-07-24, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
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Tags: Facebook, Quicky, Regraded Being, Twitter
-- Scientology's COVID brochure – a covideo with Yuval Laor, PhD
2020-07-24, jon atack, family & friends, YouTube
Scientology is pushing the brochure "How To Keep Yourself & Others Well," but Scientology's scripture insists that not one of 270 test cases had caught a cold since becoming a Scientology 'Clear', a 'laboratory fact' according to Ron Hubbard's 1950 founding text, Dianetics. Yuval joins Jon and Sam for this light-hearted look at Scientology's latest contradiction in terms.
Tags: 1950, A Piece of Blue Sky, Academic, Clear, Dianetics, Jon Atack, Patreon, PayPal, Twitter, Yuval Laor
-- Weeks after the protests, Scientology in LA remains boarded up and abandoned. What gives?
2020-07-24, Jeffrey Augustine, Underground Bunker
One of our sources in Los Angeles told us recently that there was something odd going on with Scientology's buildings there. Although street unrest has dissipated for weeks now, Scientology's storefronts remain boarded up and some of them appear completely abandoned. At a time when orgs in London and Florida and Paris are boasting about reopening, is there something going on in Los Angeles that we should know about? We asked Jeffrey Augustine if he'd take a look for us, and he sent us this report... On June 7, twenty thousand protesters were on Scientology's doorstep at its Test Center in Hollywood (see image above). What better time for Scientology to show that it could confront and shatter suppression, and to disseminate the wisdom of L. Ron Hubbard to the masses? But instead of having Scientologists pass out bottles of water and copies of The Way to Happiness, Miscavige ordered that his real estate be boarded up. And weeks later, it's like Scientology is still waiting for trouble, long after the street protests have ended.
Tags: 1952, Author Services Inc, Big Blue, CCHR, Chris Shelton, Clearwater, Coronavirus, David Miscavige, Florida, High Crime, Hollywood, Hollywood Guaranty Building, L. Ron Hubbard, L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition, L. Ron Hubbard Way, Leigh Dundas, London, Los Angeles, Office of Special Affairs, OT, Paris, Psychiatry: An Industry of Death, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Squirrel, The Way to Happiness, Volunteer Ministers

2019

3 years ago
-- Anti-Choice Apps Are Violating Google and Apple Privacy Standards
2019-07-24, Alys Brooks, Rewire.News
A watchdog group has called on Apple and Google to remove apps created by organizations opposed to abortion rights and LGBTQ rights because they misuse personal information, don't provide privacy policies, and violate the app stores' basic standards. Campaign for Accountability, a nonpartisan group focused on public accountability, argues the apps don't follow guidelines for templated apps, include extensive tracking, and don't follow privacy rules laid out by Apple and Google. "Apple and Google have kicked other apps off their platforms for violating their policies, and these anti-choice groups should be no exception," Alice C.C. Huling, counsel for Campaign for Accountability, said in a statement. "Tech companies should apply their rules uniformly, rather than turn a blind eye to violations by developers with powerful political and social connections."
Tags: 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, Abortion, Alt-Right, American Civil Liberties Union, Apple, Brexit, California, Donald Trump, Facebook, Family Research Council, Federal Election Commission, Google, LGBTQ, Medium, Mississippi, Missouri, National Rifle Association, North Dakota, Pew Research Center, Political Social Media, Republican, Ted Cruz, Texas, Wisconsin, YouTube
-- Inside Scientology's emergency San Fernando Valley confab, planning for US takeover
2019-07-24, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
On Monday, we heard from a Los Angeles reader that Scientology had done something kind of unusual, changing its annual "Maiden Voyage" schedule in order to create a last-minute "convention," scheduled for this Saturday on L. Ron Hubbard Way, as well as an "IDEAL USA" confab that was held this past weekend at the Valley Org. Our correspondent suspected that the hurried reschedulings and breathless promotion was really about a desperate effort to recruit new staff members for some "Ideal Orgs" that are about to open in parts of the country almost bereft of Scientologists. Perhaps that's the reason, perhaps not. But another LA-area reader pitched in with another peek inside what Scientology is up to: The agenda for this past weekend's shindig at the Valley Org. We found it pretty fascinating, and we knew you'd want to see it as well.
Tags: Anti-vaxx, Chick Corea, Conscience Coalition, David Miscavige, DC, DEA, Facebook, GoFundMe, Greg Mitchell, Ideal Org, James Barbour, L. Ron Hubbard Way, Lobbyist, Los Angeles, Maiden Voyage, Quicky, Renee Bessone, Rod Keller, Sacramento, San Fernando Valley, USA
-- The Christian right's efforts to transform society
2019-07-24, André Gagné, The Conversation
The battle now raging in several American states over women's reproductive rights is a direct result of the Christian right's efforts to impose its religious values on the family and in politics. The polarization around abortion in the United States is at such a level that some of the leaders of these conservative religious groups are promoting the idea of an impending second American Civil War. We should not assume that the debates generated by the Christian right in the United States will not have any impact in Canada. Indeed, the recent release of the film Unplanned shows that this politico-religious coalition seeks to change attitudes in Canada too.
Tags: 2016, 2020, Abortion, Alberta, Andrew Scheer, Anti-abortion, Campaign Life Coalition, Canada, Catholic, Christian, Christian Right, Clear, Donald Trump, Doug Ford, Federal election, Israel, Jesus, Jewish, LGBTQ, Michael Brown, Mormons, Niagara West, Ontario, Pew Research Center, RightNow, Sam Oosterhoff, Twitter
-- The Sad Tale of Jobur Ideal Org - Update
2019-07-24, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
Back in 2014 I did a post entitled Lights Out at Jobur Org. It chronicled the demise of this, the FIRST ideal org. In the time-honored tradition of scientology promo piece illiteracy, they had previously announced their 10 year anniversary with a typo in their own name — thus the use of "Jobur" in subsequent posts at this blog: Now, we are coming up to 16 years of operation of this first, model ideal org.
Tags: 2014, Africa, Clear, David Miscavige, Facebook, Ideal Org, IRS, Quicky, Twitter

2018

4 years ago
-- Flag is BOOMING (In their minds)
2018-07-24, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
This is a report from the Flag local door-knocking campaign to "recover" all the people who have faded from view. Recognize that even these paltry figures are padded. Nobody reports "stats" in scientology without inflating them to make it seem like things are better. Probably the vast majority of the numbers represented here came from knocking on the door of members of the OT Committee and asking them what service they put their children on over the summer holidays. But even with that in mind — this is very revealing. Since January 2018 they have managed to get 569 people onto a "service." That is less than 100 per month.
Tags: Field Staff Member, IRS, Janice Kenne, Michael Chan, OT, OT Committee, Quicky, Tampa
-- Scientology used an ice cream 'date' to run up $20,000 on senior's credit cards
2018-07-24, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
The day after we reported last week on the ordeal of 75-year-old Efrem Logreira — who says the Church of Scientology ran up charges on his credit cards for courses he would never take, and which cost him thousands in interest payments — he heard from the church in a letter disputing his numbers. Until our story appeared, he had heard nothing from the Los Angeles Org for months, despite sending numerous letters complaining about the way he was being treated. He only joined Scientology last year, at 74, and took a couple of introductory courses before running into problems with a third course. The church then opened up numerous credit cards in his name and put $73,000 in charges on them for various reasons, including 200 hours of auditing that he could never complete. After being heard to complain about the long drives he was making to the Los Angeles Org from where he was staying at a friend's house in Palm Springs, Efrem was barred from entering Scientology's New Year's event, held in December at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. Since then, he's been sending letters demanding refunds from the church as the interest charges on his credit cards have impoverished him.
Tags: Credit card fraud, Efrem Logreira, Facebook, Graham Berry, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Org, New Year's Eve, Palm Springs, Refund, Shrine Auditorium

2017

5 years ago
-- History's lessons on dealing with Canada's neo-Nazi groups
2017-07-24, Christine Sismondo, Macleans
Although the group is at least a year old, the "Proud Boys"—a group of self-described "western chauvinists" with a "street-fighting" program—are making its presence known on the country's sesquicentennial. On July 2, five of the "boys" disrupted a Mi'kmaq protest over the institutional, symbolic support for the colonial legacy of genocide. Two weeks later at Queen's Park in Ontario, a University of Toronto group called the Students in Support of Free Speech—supported by the likes of Paul Fromm, one of the GTA's better-known white supremacists—echoed support for the chauvinists, a rally that made the news, at least in part, because anti-fascist activists arrived to confront them. Whether or not Fromm was explicitly invited to take part is unclear, but he was there, ready to share his views, megaphone in hand. Between this and several other incidents—including the establishment of a Hamilton neighbourhood watch group called the Sons of Odin, a recent neo-Nazi meeting held at a west-end branch of the Toronto Public Library, and the Canada Post's refusal to distribute the controversial paper, Your Ward News—the realization that extremist groups were alive and well in Canada has been a shocking surprise to many. That's just as it was for the majority of Torontonians on May 31, 1965, when they picked up the Toronto Star and read about the previous day's full-blown riot at the Allan Gardens conservatory. Thousands of people, some of them survivors of the German concentration camps, descended upon the park to protest a neo-Nazi rally, expected to attract about 50. In the end, it turned out to be eight, severely outmatched by an estimated 4,000 anti-Nazis. The hateful eight was led by William John Beattie, a 23-year-old who "barely made it out of his car," tried to run, but was grabbed and beaten by the "hate-filled" and "hysterical" mob. Somehow, though, Toronto police managed to gain control of the situation after only about 15 minutes of chaos, despite the fact the force had little recent experience with that kind of incident. Police chief James Mackey said there hadn't been anything like it in the city since the 1930s.
Tags: 1930, 1933, 1938, 1950, 1960, 1965, Adrien Arcand, Alberta, Alt-Right, Anti-Semitism, Canada, Canada Post, Christian, Christie Pits riot, Europe, Germany, Hamilton, Jewish, Neo-Nazi, Ontario, Paul Fromm, Police, Proud Boys, Quebec, Queen's Park, Sons of Odin, Students in Support of Free Speech, Sydney, Toronto, Toronto Public Library, Toronto Star, University of Toronto, White supremacist, William John Beattie, Winnipeg, Your Ward News
-- Peel police charge Mississauga man with hate crime
2017-07-24, Fatima Syed, Toronto Star
A Mississauga man who has been charged with willful promotion of hatred says he's "not going anywhere," and that he intends to run for mayor of the city. The charges come after "a lengthy investigation into numerous incidents reported to police, involving Kevin Johnston and concerns information published on various social media sites," Peel police said in a news release Monday. Johnston, 45, was released on bail after a brief appearance in court Monday. The conditions of his release included an order to have no contact with three people, whose names are under a publication ban. He was also ordered to stay 100 metres away from any mosque or Muslim community centre in Ontario, except for when travelling on the road.
Tags: 2014, Alt-Right, Islamophobia, Kevin Johnston, M-103, Mississauga, Muslim, Ontario, Queen's Park, Robert Benzie, Yasir Naqvi
-- RAY JEFFREY TO JUDGE: ORDER RATHBUNS TO TURN OVER FINANCIAL RECORDS AND TESTIFY
2017-07-24, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
One of our court watchers in Texas stumbled on a stunning document: On July 5, Monique Rathbun's former attorneys filed a petition in a San Antonio court, asking for an order to compel their former clients, Monique and Mark "Marty" Rathbun, to submit to depositions and turn over detailed financial records. The attorneys — Ray Jeffrey, Elliott Cappuccio, and Marc Wiegand — requested a July 25 hearing, but court records show it's been set for August 29. We've put in a call to Jeffrey to find out more. We sent a message to the Rathbuns asking for comment, but we did not receive a response. Monique hired the three attorneys to represent her in a harassment lawsuit she filed against the Church of Scientology in August 2013. Monique alleged that she had suffered outrageous abuse because her husband, a former top Scientology official, had decided in 2009 to begin publicly criticizing his former boss, church leader David Miscavige. (Monique herself was never a member of the church.) In retaliation for Marty's statements at his website, Miscavige had the Rathbuns followed, photographed, and harassed with pranks and intimidation, Monique alleged. She believed the church went so far as to have an adult toy mailed to her place of work, and had flowers sent to her female co-worker with a romantic message that was supposedly from Monique. On smear websites operated by Scientology, she said in her legal complaint, "They have even alleged that I am not even a woman, but a man who has had a secret sex-change operation. So, I have even had my womanhood questioned as part of this sick campaign to inflict maximum emotional distress on me."
Tags: 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, Amy Scobee, Bexar County, Chris Shelton, CIA, Dani Lemberger, David Miscavige, Debbie Cook, Deposition, Elliott Cappuccio, FBI, HowdyCon, IRS, Israel, John Brousseau, Judge Solomon Casseb, Karen de la Carriere, Lawrence Wright, Leah Remini, Louis Theroux, Marc Wiegand, Marty Rathbun, Mike Rinder, Monique Rathbun, My Scientology Movie, Paul Haggis, Ray Jeffrey, Ron Miscavige, San Antonio, Steve Cannane, Texas, Texas Third Court of Appeals, Tom DeVocht, Victoria Britton
-- Valley OTC Minutes (Seconds?)
2017-07-24, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
MINUTES VALLEY ORG OT COMMITTEE MEETING July 11, 2017
Tags: Barbara Wilson, Bob Welch, Chairman of the Board, Colleen Bigler, Dali Bahat, Diane Temps, Field Staff Member, Freewinds, Gavin Potter, George Goodrich, Heelah Cohen, Ideal Org, Jeff Mintz, Jennifer Jacobson, Karen Brown, Kathy Welch, Lilach Yaary, Lisa Benest, Lisa London, Lynda Hubbard, Mark Anderson, Mary Lee Krackow, Maryann O'Donnell, Nola Aronson, OT, OT Committee, OT IX, OT VII, OT VIII, OT X, OTC, Patty Riemer, Quicky, Rochelle Goodrich, Truth About Drugs, Vered Ziv

2016

6 years ago
-- (VIDEO) Critical Q&A #67
2016-07-24, Chris Shelton, Critical Thinker at Large
The weekly show where I answer your questions based on what is left for me in the comment sections of my Q&A videos or sent to me by email at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, th questions I take up are: (1) I was wondering about Scientology's tax-exempt status. You always hear that if Scientology lost its tax-exempt status in the U.S. that it would pretty much be game over for them yet it seems like in 90% of the countries they operate in around the world, they are not recognized as a religion and don't get tax breaks. If being tax exempt here is such an issue, how is that not a hindering factor for them everywhere else? Do they funnel all the money from Europe, South America and elsewhere to the safety of the American tax shelter? Do they enjoy tax exemption anywhere else or just the U.S.? Would losing it truly end them or just really hurt them? (2) Is Scientology effective against drug and alcohol addiction? Have people ever used Scientology to over come drugs and alcohol and become clean and sober?
Tags: Critic, David Miscavige, Europe, L. Ron Hubbard, Leah Remini, Quicky, Sea Org, Sec Check, South America, Tax exempt, Xenu
-- A billboard sprouts in Florida, and other Scientology chaos in our social media review
2016-07-24, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
(Phil and Willie Jones yesterday at the dedication of their new Florida billboard with Nora Crest, Valeska Paris, Derek Bloch, and Brian Sheen. Photo by Chukicita.) It's time again for Rod Keller's Scientology Social Media Review. He's made a specialty of hunting down the odd and wonderful things Scientologists post to the 'net. He's a chronicler who piece by piece builds a highly detailed assessment of what Scientology is doing around the world, and this is what he found for us this week... Yesterday, Phil and Willie Jones dedicated their new billboard in Largo, Florida, just a few miles from Scientology's spiritual mecca in Clearwater. Phil sent us this report about how the day went...
Tags: 1998, 2017, Advanced Org, American Saint Hill Organization, Arthur Maren, ASHO, Battlefield Earth, Bernard Fialkoff, Brian Sheen, Canada, Caribbean, Carlos Garcia, Case Supervisor, Chick Corea, Class VI, Clear, Clearwater, Copenhagen, Cosimo Sherman, Cult, DEA, Denmark, Derek Bloch, Dianetics, Disconnection, El Salvador, Emily Jones, Europe, Florida, Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Google, Guardian's Office, Harlem, Hollywood, Ideal Org, Inglewood, International Association of Scientologists, International Human Rights Commission, Ismail Tezemir, Italy, Jamie DeWolf, Jim Little, John Goodwin, L. Ron Hubbard, Largo, Legal, Los Angeles, Maiden Voyage, Meshell Little, Mike Rinder, Narconon, Narconon International, Narconon Turkey, Nashville, Nigeria, Nora Crest, Quicky, Renovation, Rod Keller, Saint Hill, San Diego, Scientology Media Productions, Sea Org, Sergio Mattarella, Skip Young, Snow White Program, Social Media Review, Super Power Building, Suzy Rowe, Tampa, Tampa Bay Times, Toronto, Turkey, Twitter, Ugo Ferrando, United Nations, Valeska Paris, Vancouver, Warren Young, Willie Jones
-- Can Ipso apply in countries with strict press regulation– and with none?
2016-07-24, Peter Preston, The Guardian
T he problem Lord Justice Leveson couldn't begin to solve is coming back to bite the press regulators he left behind. Simply, what happens when you're dealing with a British newspaper's online operation based in America, with American reporters writing about American celebrities for a largely American audience? Otherwise known, in this first headbanger of a case, as "Exclusive: inside the 'bromance' of Tom Cruise and Scientology founder David Miscavige", a Mail Online special that Miscavige took to the Independent Press Standards Organisation and sort of won last week – except that Ipso then set up its own inquiry to try to address the more problematic issues involved. The "bromance" itself isn't particularly significant. It featured a series of interviews with former Scientologists saying Cruise had had special treatment at the church's Gold Base headquarters. Miscavige pleaded inaccuracies under clause one (facts) and won. Mail Online hadn't given due weight to Miscavige's denials and had failed to quote a Scientology spokesman's responses. "It had also failed to provide a defence of the accuracy of the article, or its decision not to publish a correction." Why not, pray? The Mail is a huge defender of Ipso. But no: "The story had been written to comply with American law and journalistic conventions, not the British Editors' Code of Practice." So the paper declined to defend its story.
Tags: Australia, David Miscavige, Delaware, Independent Press Standards Organisation, Int Base, Quicky, Tom Cruise, UK
-- Maiden Voyage Event 3
2016-07-24, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
The third event of the 2016 Maiden Voyage week of extravaganza seems to have lived up to all that has gone before when it comes to IAS briefings. Ridiculous hype about events in far off places that should strain even the most ardent sheeple's credulity. Announced victories over destroyed enemies — the same "victories" over psychiatry that have been announced year after year. According to the impeccable news source Int Scn News/David Miscavige, by this time psychiatry should have long since ceased to exist, but in the real world they seem to be doing just fine with new buildings that actually have people in them. And of course there are the massive, milestone legal victories - yet 50 years on the overall scene just doesn't seem to change with legal/government problems all over the place. But one thing is true: this IS what donations to the IAS buy - a huge amount of hype and lies claiming accomplishments that do not exist.
Tags: Brussels, David Miscavige, DC, Europe, Foundation for a Drug-Free World, International Association of Scientologists, Maiden Voyage, New York City, OT, Quicky, United Nations, Washington

2015

7 years ago
-- "General Hospital" Star Michelle Stafford Has Sneaked Scientology into Nickelodeon
2015-07-24, Roger Friedman, Showbiz 411
Scientology may have been outed on HBO's "Going Clear" but it's going strong at Nickelodeon. The children network's Nickmom.com website is currently featuring short films from Michelle Stafford, the extremely mannered actress who jumped from one soap opera– "The Young and the Restless"– to another– "General Hospital" last year. Stafford is an avowed member of Scientology. So is her production: everyone involved with her "Secret Mind of a Single Mom" is from Scientology. Just about the entire credit list, from actors to crew, are members of the cult.
Tags: David O'Donnell, General Hospital, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, HBO, John F. Kennedy, Michelle Stafford, Milton Katselas, Mission Impossible, Operating Thetan, Quicky, Tom Cruise, Viacom
-- Long before Xenu: Scientology's actual origin story, as told by a former member
2015-07-24, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
We have a real treat for you today. Derek Bloch noticed that Scientology's "Xenu" story that was made famous in South Park in 2005 and was given another great treatment in Alex Gibney's film Going Clear this year (pictured above), is often referred to as Scientology's "origin story." This is simply untrue. The Xenu incident, which resulted in so many beings brought to and vaporized on Earth, took place a mere 75 million years ago. But Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard claimed that the universe itself was some 4 quadrillion years old, and that it had been created by "bored" thetans playing some kind of game. Derek, a longtime presence here at the Underground Bunker, submitted this essay to explain how he was taught to believe the universe got here, and the narrative of the cosmos that he learned as a member of the organization. Here, then, is the overall, overarching purpose of Scientology, which rarely gets spelled out in such detail. We hope you find it as fascinating as we did — and we'd really like to hear from other former members of the church how much of this they were aware of as they were working their way up the Bridge to Total Freedom. Xenu is the most famous figure in Scientology to outsiders. His saga is often touted as the "origin" story of the organization, similar to Genesis in the Bible. However, as it always is with Scientology, things are not as they seem. Long before Xenu decided to turn Earth into a prison planet for everyone that he thought would rebel against his regime, there were disembodied energies floating throughout a universe of emptiness. In a work called The Factors (1953), Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard describes the inception of "theta" or the energy that creates life itself, according to Scientology's scriptures. "In the beginning was a decision, and the decision was to be," he says.
Tags: 1952, 1953, 2005, 2009, Africa, Alex Gibney, Austin, Bridge to Total Freedom, California, Church of Spiritual Technology, Clear, David Gaiman, DC, Derek Bloch, Fifth Invader Force, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Houston, Irina Belyaeva, Matt Feshbach, Mission, Monique Rathbun, New Mexico, OT, Quicky, San Antonio, South Park, Study Tech, Texas, Tom Cruise, UK, Venus, Wyoming, Xenu
-- Parlez-vous Scientologist?
2015-07-24, Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian
One of the strange things about Scientologists – and yes, I'm aware this sentence could end in several thousand legitimate ways – is their use of language. Recently, an interview in a Scientology magazine with the actor Laura Prepon was leaked online, and arguably it didn't matter much, since it was impossible to understand. Prepon spoke of undertaking the "purification rundown", eliminating "mis-emotions" by "doing my objectives", and explained how much easier life becomes "when you really cognate that you are a Thetan". Other Scientologists talk of "enturbulation" and "alter-isness", "randomity" and "out ethics", almost as if their entire religion were dreamed up (cognated?) by a pulp sci-fi author pulling everyone's leg.
Tags: Laura Prepon
-- Regraded Being
2015-07-24, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
Tags: Quicky, Regraded Being

2014

8 years ago
-- A lawsuit over counseling credentials now aims at the essence of Scientology
2014-07-24, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
We have a few legal updates for you, and they involve the lawsuit filed by the National Association of Forensic Counselors against Scientology's drug rehab network, Narconon, many of its employees, and Scientology's leader, David Miscavige, as well. A total of 82 defendants are scrambling to deal with the lawsuit, which alleges that they conspired to misuse the counseling certifications that the NAFC regulates. Masterminding the conspiracy, the NAFC alleged in its complaint, was Miscavige from his perch as the Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), Scientology's nominally controlling entity. RTC responded by filing a motion to dismiss which is drawn from Scientology's usual playbook. RTC has nothing to do with Narconon, its attorneys argued in the motion, and it also has no connection to Oklahoma, where Narconon's flagship facility is and where the lawsuit is set. Former Scientology executives tell us that when the church was restructured in the early 1980s, this was the goal they had in mind — a Byzantine corporate fiction that would enable the top executives to claim no involvement.
Tags: 1980, 1987, 1991, 1992, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, ABLE, AVC, Bridge to Total Freedom, Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor, Chairman of the Board, Church of Scientology International, CIA, Clearwater, David Miscavige, David S. Lee, DC, Florida, France, Gary Smith, Ideal Org, John Travolta, Jonny Jacobsen, Karla Taylor, Kirstie Alley, L. Ron Hubbard, Lisa McPherson, Marty Rathbun, Miami, Mike Rinder, Monique Rathbun, NAFC v. Scientology, Narconon, Narconon Arrowhead, Narconon Chilocco, Narconon of Oklahoma, National Association of Forensic Counselors, New York City, Oklahoma, Oregon, Org Board, Paris, Religious harassment, Religious Technology Center, Scientology executive, Ted Koppel, Tom Cruise
-- Man causes disturbance, severs computer wires at Church of Scientology
2014-07-24, Arin Mikailian, Glendale News-Press
Around 11 p.m., the suspect, described as a white male in his 30s, entered the center at 2254 Honolulu Ave. and started causing a disturbance, said Glendale Police Spokeswoman Tahnee Lightfoot. A church employee asked the man to leave and escorted him out of the building, Lightfoot said. It was later found that the man had apparently cut the wires to computers in the lobby by unknown means, leaving the severed wires behind, she said.
Tags: Glendale
-- Scientologists accused of brainwashing French company's employees
2014-07-24, RFI
French prosecutors are investigating the Church of Scientology for alleged harassment of the employees of a company whose boss had joined the organisation. The workers claim that Scientologist trainers tried to brainwash them and embezzled up to two millions euros from the firm. The 12 employees of building firm Arcadia, based at Voisins-le-Bretonneux near Paris, claim that Scientologists became "omnipresent" in the business after their boss turned to the cult following the death of one of his children in 2000.
Tags: France, Olivier Morice, Religious harassment, Versailles
-- Thursday Funnies
2014-07-24, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
Tony Ortega has Sunday Funnies. Today, I have Thursday Funnies. Some Special Correspondents sent these in and I could not withhold them from bringing a smile to the faces of readers of this blog (especially as the posting coming up tomorrow is one of the least funny things ever to appear on this blog). This first is one of the funniest (saddest?) things I have seen in a very long time.
Tags: David Miscavige, Quicky, Sea Org, Sunday Funnies, Thursday Funnies, Tony Ortega
-- What Is The IAS Doing?
2014-07-24, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
You will be very pleased to know that the IAS is now informing their public what they are spending their money on. BUILDINGS! Of course, the IAS doesn't waste money on things where there is no return. Buying buildings sounds reasonable, until you understand a) the building then becomes a church asset and b) in those areas that where the IAS is funding their ideal org building, people are EXPECTED to donate to the IAS "to purchase the building." Really, the IAS acts like a bank — they front the money to buy the building (other people's money - just like a bank) and then they collect the money back they fronted.
Tags: Africa, Bogotá, CCHR, Harlem, International Association of Scientologists, Narconon, Quicky, Tokyo, Valencia, Vulture Culture

2013

9 years ago
-- Nicole Remini: John Travolta Has NOT Called Leah, Despite National Enquirer Unnamed Source
2013-07-24, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Last week, Leah Remini's sister Nicole had to call bullshit on an unnamed source who told the Chicago Sun-Times that Leah and Kirstie Alley were "chatting" to make sure there was no "loss of friendship" between the two. Didn't happen, Nicole told us. Now, the National Enquirer is saying it talked to an unnamed source who says Leah isn't accepting phone calls from John Travolta and Kelly Preston, who just want to ask her what's going on. This too, never happened, Nicole tells us.
Tags: 2000, 2004, 2010, Author Services Inc, Barbara Ruiz, Battlefield Earth, Chicago Sun-Times, David Miscavige, Facebook, John Travolta, Karen de la Carriere, Kelly Preston, Kirstie Alley, Leah Remini, Marty Rathbun, Mike Rinder, National Enquirer, OT, Private investigator, Quicky, The Hole, Tom Cruise
-- Scientology Continues to "Handle" the "Black PR" of Leah Remini's Defection
2013-07-24, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Scientology continues to "handle" the defection of Leah Remini and the subsequent media uproar. We have now learned that the church has produced a video about the controversy, and is asking Scientologists in the Los Angeles area to come to local facilities to view it and learn how to think about "Black PR" — Scientology jargon for negative press. We have talked to numerous Scientologists who say they've been asked to come down and view the video, and we've asked our sources to get us details of what's being shown. Meanwhile, we're told that there's more fallout for Remini herself as Scientologists continue to "disconnect" from her on instructions from the church
Tags: 2006, 2011, Angry Gay Pope, Brooklyn, Celebrity Centre, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Donna Fiore, Freedom magazine, Geir Isene, George Remini, J. Swift, Karen de la Carriere, King of Queens, Leah Remini, Los Angeles, Mark Ebner, New York Post, OT, Quicky
-- The New GAE -- Golden Age of Execs
2013-07-24, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
A report from one of our European Special Correspondents: Have you heard about dm´s new squirrel quickie "Exec" training ("Golden Age of Management and Exec Training"). 3 months in Idle LA Org, and you are "Golden Age of Management Exec". Take a look at this email from ED DK Day (After many years as a Senior C/S he is now "converted" t to ED):
Tags: Denmark, Division 6, Europe, Ideal Org, Los Angeles, Quicky, Squirrel

2012

10 years ago
-- Deaths bring probe of Narconon facility in Oklahoma
2012-07-24, Sheila Stogsdill, Tulsa World
A Pittsburg County drug rehabilitation center is under investigation after a third patient died within a nine-month period, Sheriff Joel Kerns said Monday. The death of Stacy Dawn Murphy, 20, of Owasso is the latest in a string of deaths at Narconon Arrowhead.
Tags: Death, Destanie Ramsey, Gabriel Graves, Gary Smith, Hillary Holten, Jessica Brown, Joel Kerns, Kaysie Werninck, Narconon, Narconon Arrowhead, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Pittsburg County, Robert Murphy, Stacy Murphy
-- Germany Treats Scientology as a Threat to Democracy. The U.S. Should Too.
2012-07-24, James Kirchick, Tablet Magazine
Tags: Germany
-- Headley Case Dismissal Upheld
2012-07-24, Marty Rathbun, Moving On Up a Little Higher
The dismissal of Marc and Claire Headley's case against Scientology Inc. was upheld by the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. headley case 9th Circuit opinion The lawyer who originally filed the case did Marc and Claire a disservice by putting all their eggs in the Human Trafficking issue basket. Note, the counsel who argued the case in the 9th Circuit for the Headleys - not the same lawyer who brought the case in the first place - did a noble job with what she had been given to work with.
Tags: Abortion, Appeal, Barry Van Sickle, Claire Headley, David Miscavige, Human trafficking, Marc Headley, Quicky, Sea Org
-- Scientology Wins Appeal In Lawsuit Alleging Forced Labor and Forced Abortions
2012-07-24, Tony Ortega, Runnin' Scared, Village Voice
The Headleys California's federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today posted its affirmation of a lower court's decision to dismiss a lawsuit against the Church of Scientology brought by two of its former employees, Marc and Claire Headley. The Headleys had worked at Scientology's International Base near Hemet, California until they left it in 2005. They sued in 2009, claiming that as Sea Org members making about $50 a week for 100-hour weeks of work and with the prospect of being hunted down if they dared to leave, that they had been victims of human trafficking violations. Claire also alleged that twice she had been forced to have abortions in order to keep up that level of work, and had been threatened that she would be separated from her husband and kicked out if she didn't terminate her pregnancies.
Tags: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, Abortion, Appeal, California, Claire Headley, David Miscavige, Facebook, Hemet, Human trafficking, Int Base, Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain, Lawsuit, Manhattan, Marc Headley, Marty Rathbun, Quicky, Scott Pilutik, Sea Org, Suppressive Person, Tom Cruise, US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

2011

11 years ago
-- Rosalie Hamilton
2011-07-24, Marty Rathbun, Moving On Up a Little Higher
Rosalie Hamilton Email I sent June 24, 2011: Sent only to my small group of dear friends who share my spiritual quest –
Tags: 1984, 1989, 1999, 2002, ASHO, Basics, Clear, Clearwater, CNN, DC, Ethics, Independent, L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles, Office of Special Affairs, OT, OT 7, OT III, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Sea Org, St. Petersburg Times, Tommy Davis

2010

12 years ago
-- Angry computer expert attacked Scientologist - during a stress test
2010-07-24, Dan Thompson, Manchester Evening News
Matthew Hickey, 26, walked into the Church of Scientology's Deansgate branch in Manchester after having a drunken row with his girlfriend. He became angry when he was hooked up to an 'E-meter' stress-testing machine and grabbed tester Brandon Sandler by the tie. Hickey admitted assault at Manchester Magistrates' Court.
Tags: Assault, Brandon Sandler, E-meter, Joe Rawlings, Manchester, Matthew Hickey, Stress test, UK

2009

13 years ago
-- 13 The E-Meter Experts
2009-07-24, Jonny Jacobsen, Infinite Complacency
Day 5, June 3: Scientology called two expert witnesses to defend the effectiveness of the e-meter used in their counselling sessions - but did not quite get what they had bargained for. At the start of the day's proceedings, Judge Sophie-Hélène Château had read out a fax from one of the court-appointed experts in the case, a M. Ionesco. Ionesco had written a report in 1993 on the electrometer, a device used in Scientology's counselling sessions, for an earlier trial involving Scientology in Lyon, in 1996.
Tags: 1952, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, Aberree, Alain Rosenberg, Auditing, Catholic, Dianetics, E-meter, Judge Sophie-Hélène Château, Lyon, Olivier Morice, Quicky, Tone Scale, Volney Mathison
-- 13b Annexe to 13 The E-Meter Experts
2009-07-24, Jonny Jacobsen, Infinite Complacency
Here's a short annexe on why one expert thought that Scientologists didn't know how to operate their own e-meter . From " The E-Meter Experts ": Curiously enough, when Kirchner drew up his 1994 report, it had been the defendant Alain Rosenberg who had demonstrated the use of the e-meter for him. But according to Kirchner, Rosenberg had not only failed to observe this basic zero-reading procedure but had made another mistake that rendered the readings meaningless.
Tags: 1994, Alain Rosenberg, Bruce Hines, David Touretzky, E-meter, Kirstie Alley, Nicole Kidman, Quicky

2008

14 years ago
-- 'Anonymous' plans mass Scientology protest
2008-07-24, Daily Telegraph
A SHADOWY web-based protest group is apparently planning a global demonstration against Scientology next month, publishing its creepy "training video" the internet. The group, calling itself Anonymous has already staged demonstrations against Scientology in Australia and around the but now plans an even bigger international event on August 16.
Tags: Anonymous

2007

15 years ago
-- Armenian gets 22 years in arms-trafficking sting
2007-07-24, AP, KWGN
An Armenian immigrant was sentenced Friday to 22 years in prison for plotting to sell anti-aircraft missiles and other military weapons from the former Soviet Union to an FBI informant. "I should have known better," Artur Solomonyan, 30, told a federal judge before learning his sentence. He said he had been irresponsible but got caught up in the scheme because he thought the informant could get him a green card. Prosecutors said Solomonyan led a ring that conspired to import shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, anti-tank guided missiles and other weapons without a license. The only weapons actually delivered were a dozen firearms, including a machine gun. Solomonyan and five co-defendants were convicted in July of charges including arms trafficking and firearms trafficking conspiracy.
Tags: Artur Solomonyan
-- Armenian immigrant and 5 others convicted of military-weapons charges in FBI sting
2007-07-24, Larry Neumeister, Associated Press, San Diego Union-Tribune
An Armenian immigrant accused of plotting to sell anti-aircraft missiles and other military weapons from the former Soviet Union to an FBI informant was convicted Tuesday along with five co-defendants. Artur Solomonyan could face up to life in prison on charges including arms trafficking conspiracy, firearms trafficking conspiracy, interstate firearms trafficking and illegal transfer and possession of a machine gun. The charges accused the men of conspiring from December 2003 to March 2005 to import shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, anti-tank guided missiles and machine guns without a license.
Tags: 2003, 2005, Artur Solomonyan, FBI, Green card, Soviet Union
-- For Xenu's sake, hear your kooky co-worker out
2007-07-24, David Eddie, Globe and Mail

2006

16 years ago
-- Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg Spat Explained
2006-07-24, Newsmax.com
The New Yorker points out: "According to two close friends of Spielberg, Page Six was accurate, although the item did not note the real source of Spielberg's anger: After he mentioned to Cruise the name of a doctor - a friend - who prescribed Ritalin, the doctor's office was picketed by Scientologists."
Tags: Bert Fields, Brooke Shields, CCHR, Matt Lauer, Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise

2005

17 years ago
-- Bridge to Total Freedom a lifetime commitment
2005-07-24, Alana Semuels, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Some say it's the only true way toward a happier existence. Others label it a new religion that soon will be accepted in society, like the Mormon Church. And then there are the people who call it a cult. Scientology has been called many things in its half century of existence, and even now, it is a controversial organization.
-- From the outside, looking in
2005-07-24, Alana Semuels, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Some of the things Chuck Beatty says he's done over the past 30 years sound like scenes from a science fiction movie. Signing over a billion years of his current and future lives to service. Hiding from German news helicopters flying over the California camp where he lived. Spending more than six years doing hard labor under constant monitoring by his peers. But Beatty, 53, now of Carnegie, says he was just one of the many faithful members of the Sea Organization, an intense division of the Church of Scientology. In 2004, Beatty left behind the life that had enveloped him for nearly three decades and moved to Pittsburgh from Los Angeles to assist other people interested in leaving, since he knows how difficult it is.
Tags: Chuck Beatty, David Bromley, Jim Richardson, Rebecca Denova, Rehabilitation Project Force, Sea Org, Stephen Kent
-- L. Ron Hubbard, founder
2005-07-24, Virginia Linn, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
As the popularity of Scientology grew, so did the controversy surrounding it. Hubbard has been called a charismatic Renaissance man by admirers and a quack by critics.
-- Scientology comes to town
2005-07-24, Virginia Linn, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Although the office opened here with little fanfare, Scientologists have high hopes for its growth as they try to regain a foothold in the region after a false start in Washington County.
Tags: David Touretzky, Detox

1997

25 years ago
-- Charter School Bid Draws Scrutiny
1997-07-24, Duke Helfand, Los Angeles Times
A proposed charter school in the east San Fernando Valley is receiving close scrutiny from Los Angeles Unified School District officials who are concerned about the organizer's ties to the Church of Scientology and are questioning whether church teachings would appear in the new public school. Advocates of the Northwest Charter School acknowledge that they want to employ teaching methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, but say his system emphasizes common-sense strategies appropriate for a public school setting and children of any religion.
Tags: Applied Scholastics, Ian Lyons, Linda Smith, Northwest Charter School, Study Technology

1988

34 years ago
-- Court Ends $1-Billion Suit Alleging Scientology Fraud
1988-07-24, Los Angeles Times
A Los Angles Superior Court judge Friday dismissed a $1-billion class-action lawsuit filed by former members of the Church of Scientology accusing its late founder of stealing money from the organization and threatening critics. Judge Barnet Cooperman ruled that the plaintiffs failed to successfully back up their allegations of fraud and breach of fiduciary responsibility. The suit was filed in January, 1987, by six former Scientologists and the organization Freedom for All in Religion, which claims to represent as many as 400 former church followers.
Tags: Freedom for All in Religion, Heber Jentzsch, Judge Cooperman, Lawrence Levy, Legal, Mary Maren

1950

72 years ago
-- Of Two Minds
1950-07-24, Time magazine
A new cult is smoldering through the U.S. underbrush. Its name: dianetics. Last week its bible, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, was steadily climbing the U.S. bestseller lists. Demand was especially heavy on the West Coast. Bookstores in Los Angeles were selling Dianetics on an under-the-counter basis. Armed with the manual, which they called simply "The Book," fanatical converts overflowed Saturday night meetings in Hollywood, held dianetics parties, formed clubs, and "audited" (treated) each other.
Tags: Dianetics, Frank Dessler, Jean Bordeaux, L. Ron Hubbard, Pauline Pumphrey, Vernon Twitchell
FrontCite 07/21/2022 08:32a
See also:
FrontCite Mediawiki
xenu-directory.net: Scientology in the news
Scientology in the UK Media