Presenting Rod Keller's
Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review

Volume 6, Issue 41 - February 3 2002



Clearwater

From the letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on January 30th on the history of Clearwater, Florida: "Scientology evidently is taking over the city of Clearwater, slowly, slowly oozing into the power structure, such as it is, and becoming 'normalized.' If the truth about the basis and ongoing operation of this cult is of any interest to you there are two books that you might read. The first is Barefaced Messiah by Russell Miller, which is an almost day-by-day biography of the cult's founder from birth to establishment of the cult. Those who are regaled with the life and accomplishments of L.R. Hubbard according to his minions will find almost every claim refuted in this well-researched biography. "The second is A Piece of Blue Sky by Jon Atak, which describes the operational methods of Scientology from its earliest days until 1989. Anyone who has not read at least some of these two books cannot claim to know about Scientology, a growing influence in our lives. - Bud Tritschler, Clearwater" An internal Scientology email announcing an upcoming awards event was posted to a.r.s this week. "FROM: AMaren@aol.com DATE: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 "In coordination with the LRH Personal Public Relations Office in Clearwater, Friends of Ron is presenting Socrates Charos with an award for the artistic and cultural upgrade of the Royalty Theater in downtown Clearwater. The purpose of the event is to create positive PR for LRH, to have OL's visiting the FH and attending the ceremony and acknowledging an ally of the C of S and Flag. The award will be presented by Cass Warner, the grand-daughter of the Warner family who were pioneers of the movie industry. We have confirmed the evening of Monday, Feb. 11th, 2002, from 7:30-9pm at The Fort Harrison Hotel." The St. Petersburg Times published an interview with Clearwater mayor Brian Aungst on February 3rd. "Q: The Church of Scientology has clearly gained greater acceptance in recent years, and you have participated in that process. Just recently a lot of this city's bigwigs attended the gala at the Fort Harrison. And from what I understand, you gave a speech there that night. From your viewpoint as mayor, how widespread is acceptance of the church today in Clearwater? "A: I think the church is making strides. They're working hard themselves in the community to change their previous image. They certainly had some obstacles to overcome. I think everyone is working together in the community right now to effectuate positive change to make this a better city. One positive thing that came out of the open communication I have with church leaders was helping Lee Arnold close his deal on their property. They actually sold him a prime piece of property allowing him to develop a hotel and condo and 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurants. I think without being able to pick up the phone, which I may do once or twice a year, and just say, 'Hey, you know, we need your help on this,' that may not have happened. "Q: How would you characterize the influence of the Church of Scientology in the city now? "A: I don't think the church has any more influence than anyone else. I think they're just like every other citizen. "Q: What parts of the community remain suspicious or unaccepting of the church? "A: I certainly think some of the people who have been here for a long time probably are. Some of the younger people are willing to have an open mind about things. I'm not real sure, but I think it (suspicion about the church) maybe trends to people who have been here a little longer, who were part of some of the things that happened initially that were not good." The Tampa Tribune reported on February 3rd on the opening of parts of the Fort Harrison Hotel to the public. "The pool at the Fort Harrison Hotel holds some of Liz Roche's fondest childhood memories. She recalls fun family afternoons at the hotel in the 1950s and '60s - before the Church of Scientology bought the landmark hotel and closed most of the property to the public. This week the church has opened its doors, offering a rare glimpse into the world of Scientology and giving people like Roche a chance to relive childhood memories. 'It hasn't changed as much as I thought it would,' Roche said of the restored hotel, now an international Scientology retreat. 'It still has that grand hotel feeling.' Roche said she's not a Scientologist and wants nothing to do with the church except to tour the hotel, but she said she was pleasantly surprised there were no attempts by Scientologist tour guides to convert her to the religion. "Church officials say conversion and secrecy are not what the tours are about. 'It's definitely a way to communicate who we are, what we do and answer people's questions,' said Pat Harney, the church's public affairs director. The church recently announced plans to open the Fort Harrison to the public permanently, once the 380,000-square-foot training and counseling center is complete in late 2003. 'If people understand a little bit of what goes on, it makes it easier,' said Lisa Valverde, the church's downtown relations director. "As the church expands its influence in Clearwater, the once contentious relationship that existed between the Scientologists and the city is moving toward mutual acceptance. A black-tie, invitation-only gala to celebrate the hotel's 75th anniversary was attended by a number of city officials and community leaders - proof both sides are learning to coexist. Mayor Brian Aungst attended the gala, as did city commissioners Hamilton Hoyt and Gray Whitney and their wives. Of the seven county commissioners, only Susan Latvala and her husband, State Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Palm Harbor, attended. "City Commissioner Bill Jonson said he couldn't attend the gala because of a scheduling conflict, not out of animosity toward the church. He said he didn't recall the church as the subject of much controversy 'in many, many years.' But lawsuits and countersuits are pending in the 1995 death of Lisa McPherson while in the care of Scientologists at the old hotel. "Sheriff Everett Rice attended the gala. Veteran Clearwater Police Chief Sid Klein did not. On Dec. 18, the police department ended off-duty officers' around-the-clock patrols of church properties, at Scientology's request, after the anti-Scientology Lisa McPherson Trust packed its bags, closed its nearby offices and left town. "Boxes of documents, seized during FBI raids of Scientology offices in Los Angeles and Washington two years after the church arrived in Clearwater, detailed plans to use infiltration, theft and smear campaigns to obtain a foothold in the city. Scientology officials subsequently have said those who crafted the plans violated church policy and have been dismissed from the church. "'I think there's a lot of fence-mending that they still need to do in the community,' Aungst said. 'But we're happy the hotel will be going back on the tax rolls.' 'People shouldn't be scared of us,' Scientologist Diana Rajdl said. 'We are church people, too. We really, really care about the world. 'We should join together to fight against the psychiatrists, disease, war, criminality and drug-dealing, not against each other.'" Message-ID: a399nk$5rr@netaxs.com Message-ID: qqjm5usp1q1j7c96f45e3oe978advsves3@4ax.com Message-ID: a3je09$q21@netaxs.com Message-ID: dfmq5ug3o2342va06det5pn63bbgeh380q@4ax.com

Tom Cruise

BBC News reported on January 30th that Tom Cruise took time from promoting his latest movie to lobby the American ambassador to Germany on behalf of Scientology. "He met with US ambassador Dan Coats while in the country promoting his new movie Vanilla Sky with co-star and girlfriend Penelope Cruz. Germany refuses to recognise Scientology as a legitimate church, claiming it is a fake religion based on making money from its followers. Scientology was put under official scrutiny in Germany in 1997, followed by France which outlawed it as a cult. "Following Cruise's hour-long meeting with Mr. Coats the star signed autographs and chatted to embassy staff, who remarked on how friendly and patient he was. Mr. Coats later attended the German premiere of Vanilla Sky, but would not comment on the meeting." Internet reporter Matt Drudge received a call on his radio show to protest reporting the Tom Cruise story on his popular web site. "A Scientologist called in and began demanding that Matt apologize for criticizing John Travolta, L. Ron Hubbard and Battlefield Earth. Matt asked if 'he (Drudge) is allowed to criticize pop culture.' Then Matt asked 'What are you going to do about it sir?' and the clam replied 'We (meaning Scientology) have plenty of information on you' and hung up. Matt told him to take his best shot." MSNBC reported on January 31st that Cruise has been lobbying other U.S. officials for Scientology. "Tom Cruise has been working overtime on behalf of the Church of Scientology. On Wednesday, it made headlines overseas that the 'Vanilla Sky' actor, a devout Scientologist, had met with Dan Coats, the U.S. ambassador to Germany, to lobby the case for the rights of the church in Germany. A top church official, however, tells The Scoop that Cruise has been privately meeting with top politicians on behalf of the church for the last few years. "Kurt Weiland, a director of the church, says that among the U.S. officials who have met with Cruise to discuss the Church of Scientology's plight are Attorney General John Ashcroft and Sen. Jesse Helms, the Republican from North Carolina who is also senior member of Foreign Relations Committee. Weiland says that there were 'private meetings and correspondence' between Cruise and both Helms and Ashcroft 'a few years ago.' When asked if those meetings and letters resulted in anything, Weiland said, 'Yes. Efforts were made by them to let the German government know that they were missing the mark.'" Message-ID: a398os$5rr@netaxs.com Message-ID: 20020202062732.28160.00001131@mb-ba.aol.com Message-ID: a3kh3q$72v@netaxs.com

Isaac Hayes

The Memphis Flyer interviewed Scientology celebrity Isaac Hayes in its December 27th issue. "How do you manage to juggle so many activities? "It's difficult, but thanks to my involvement in Scientology, there is a technology that can help you do that, an administrative technology. It can help you do it all. "Is the church here another part of the package bringing you back? "Lisa Marie Presley and myself put that together. We brought it to Memphis because we wanted to share it with our city. So the fact that I'm back helps me be more involved with my own mission. I need to get more people in there and familiarize more people with the principles, goals, and aims of Scientology and how good it is for everybody. It's one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me. I've been in it eight years and it's really given me tools to improve myself. When you find something good, you want to share it with people." Message-ID: cjnq5ucrqv66g647v1eur5n8684bb1le7p@4ax.com

Jamie Kennedy

Jamie Kennedy, great-grandson of L. Ron Hubbard, reported in his newsletter on January 30th how Scientology has reacted to a recent article in the East Bay Express, in which he was critical of Scientology. "This was from a letter to the East Bay Express after the article by Katy St. Clair came out. Katy suspects the writer is a Scientologist, which would come as no surprise, but I've gotten no response from him when I attempted to contact him to give him a free lifetime pass to Tourettes Without Regrets. So here it is: "'Jamie Kennedy seems like he wants to get his 15 minutes of fame by dissing all of poetry, and while he's at it, slamming practically all music with words in it - technically all those songs are poetry. At least he admits he's all fucked up. He says he hates his great grand-daddy so much, but he seems to be milking that connection for everything he can suck out of it. If I ever get a burning urge to take a dump on stage, I will have to check out one of his shows, and express myself.' - Writer didn't leave name "Unfortunately Scientologists are such venomous vipers that I can't milk my connection without having to have those fuckers on my jock like crab lice. Believe me, I'd love to get rich off shit talking and revealing all the nasty secrets about my meglomaniacal psychotic cuckoo for cocoa puffs great grandfather but I already have to deal with in-fighting circle-jerking National Poetry Slam fuck-o's, a baby momma and bills and don't have the time to piss in the blind eyes of brain washed robo-clones. Also, you can shit on my stage anytime you want. You're free anytime." Message-ID: 3C576ECD.9010109@fornikulture.com

Protest Summary

Dave Bird and Jens Tingleff reported on a protest at the Birmingham, England org on February 2nd. "John, Hartley, Andy, and later Diane (not on Internet) were demonstrating away. Soon Jens arrived, and set up the sound gear with John on the mic; I did some unamplified slogan-shouting too. The little leather jacketed creep, a sport of down-market version of Graeme Wilson was feeding the cops a load of lies. Apparently we were harassing his poor parishioners trying to get to the building. 'Well, this is a public thoroughfare.' Exactly. We have a right to protest in public thoroughfares. They have a right to move freely through public thoroughfares to their building. There is a perfectly good shopping street leading to the far side of the building (the block is surrounded by streets, with shops on the ground floor on every side). If people wish to enter the building and take services I will not pursue them and, if they wish to avoid contact with me, then they need only go round the other side. 'Right, we understand each other' said the cop." "Four Internet kind of persons and two parent type of persons braved the wind and the slight rain and handed out some leaflets. We also made contact with the locals who were overwhelmingly supportive. A passer-by said that the Co$ had taken her for a small amount for a course which had been absolutely no use and now she couldn't get the money back. It was a small amount, and she had learned a valuable lesson (when a Scientologist tells you something, that something is usually an outright lie or a useless generality). Actual quote: 'The always say you have got a problem when you haven't got a problem and they invent that problem for you.'" Message-ID: NTOhBOAGvEX8EwQx@xemu.demon.co.uk Message-ID: a3k08r02b0k@enews1.newsguy.com

Roger Gonnet

French Scientology critic Roger Gonnet reported that a case in which a Scientologist complained about having his name on Roger's web site was dismissed for lack of appearance. "I was yesterday before the Court for the trial from a Scientologist named Laurent Q., who had complained that his name was to be found onto my website. Laurent Q. had been in appeal court for the Lyon suit against Scientology (homicide, fraud and extortion), was named on the appeal decision, where he was said to have been released from fraud charges. "Since neither the plaintiff neither his attorney went to the Court yesterday in Villefranche sur Saone, they have lost immediately." Message-ID: a37qot$9s0$1@news2.isdnet.net

School Tuition

The Associated Press reported on January 29th that a Jewish couple cannot deduct their tuition payments to a Jewish school similarly to the tax break given to Scientologist parents, according to an appeals court ruling. "The three-member panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal tax court's ruling that Michael and Marla Sklar of Los Angeles are not eligible to deduct 55 percent of the tuition they paid for their four children to attend two Jewish schools. The couple based their argument on tax deduction allowances made by the IRS for members of the Church of Scientology. "Details of the Church of Scientology's tax deduction were not discussed in the opinion because they were not made available to the court. After a long tax dispute with the Church of Scientology, the IRS apparently compromised in 1993 by allowing the church a deduction for 'auditing,' 'training' and other qualified religious services, the opinion said. The IRS said it could not release the specifics of the agreement at the risk of disclosing confidential returns and return information. "In the opinion, Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote that the Scientology case does not enhance the Sklars' appeal because 'religious education for elementary or secondary school children does not appear to be similar to the 'auditing' and 'training' conducted by the Church of Scientology. While we have no doubt that certain taxpayers who belong to religions other than the Church of Scientology would be similarly situated to such members, we think it unlikely that the Sklars are,' Reinhardt wrote." From the Los Angeles Times on January 30th: "The leading precedent, the judges said, is a 1989 high court decision holding that payments Scientologists made for 'auditing' did not constitute charitable contributions. That decision, Hernandez vs. Commissioner, was based on a section of the Internal Revenue Code that states that quid pro quo donations, for which a taxpayer receives something in return - such as education - are not deductible. The Hernandez decision held that the section applies to religious quid pro donations. "In Tuesday's decision, the appellate court criticized the IRS for refusing to disclose the terms of a 1993 settlement with the Church of Scientology. That agreement, among other things, permits Scientologists to get deductions in conflict with the 1989 Supreme Court decision, according to the 9th Circuit. "In support of their claim, the Sklars presented a 1997 Wall Street Journal article that provided details of the settlement. The 9th Circuit said that since the IRS failed to present any contradictory evidence on the nature of the settlement, the court was obliged to accept the Sklar's representations. Although it was not directly at issue in the case, the 9th Circuit panel said that 'it appears to be true that the IRS' had given Scientology a 'preference in the interest of settling a long and litigious tax dispute.' In his majority opinion, Judge Stephen Reinhardt suggested that the preference represented unconstitutional favoritism toward a religious organization. Judges Harry Pregerson and Barry G. Silverman joined in the ruling. "In a highly unusual move, Silverman invited people who are troubled by the IRS settlement with Scientology to file a lawsuit to unravel the deal. 'If the IRS does, in fact, give preferential treatment to members of the Church of Scientology - allowing them a special right to claim deductions that are contrary to law and disallowed to everybody else - then the proper course of action is a lawsuit to put a stop to that policy.' "Jesse Choper, a constitutional law professor at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law, said that he believed taxpayers would have standing to bring a suit challenging the IRS settlement with Scientology under a 1968 Supreme Court decision, Flast vs. Cohen. In that case, the high court upheld a taxpayer's standing to challenge federal subsidies to parochial schools as violating the 1st Amendment's prohibition against government establishment of religion." From the text of the court's decision: "The IRS insists that the closing agreement in this case cannot be disclosed as it contains return information which the IRS is required to keep confidential. We conclude that there are several reasons why the closing agreement in the case before us likely is subject to disclosure, at least in substantial part. First the closing agreement would appear to constitute documentation in support of the exemption application which must be publicly disclosed. Second, public disclosure of agreements that affect not just one taxpayer or a discrete group of taxpayers, but a broad and indeterminate class of taxpayers with a large and constantly changing membership, is also necessary as a practical matter. Third, where a closing agreement sets out a new policy and contains rules of general applicability to a class of taxpayers, disclosure of at least the relevant part of that agreement is required in the interest of public policy. The IRS is simply not free to enter into closing agreements with religious or other tax-exempt organizations governing the deductions that will be available to their members and to keep such provisions secret from the courts, the Congress, and the public. "The Supreme Court has developed a framework for determining whether a statute grants an unconstitutional denominational preference. The initial inquiry must be whether the policy facially discriminates amongst religions. Clearly it does, as this tax deduction is available only to members of the Church of Scientology. The second inquiry is whether or not the facially discriminatory policy is justified by a compelling governmental interest. Although it appears to be true that the IRS has engaged in this particular preference in the interest of settling a long and litigious tax dispute with the Church of Scientology, the benefits of settling a controversy with one religious organization can hardly outweigh the costs of engaging in a religious preference. "The Church of Scientology's closing agreement is irrelevant, not because the Sklars are not 'similarly situated' to Scientologists, but because the closing agreement does not enter into the equation by which the deductibility of the Sklars' payments is determined. An IRS closing agreement cannot overrule Congress and the Supreme Court. If the IRS does, in fact, give preferential treatment to members of the Church of Scientology then the proper course of action is a lawsuit to put a stop to that policy. The remedy is not to require the IRS to let others claim the improper deduction, too." Message-ID: a398eq$5rr@netaxs.com Message-ID: a3994j$5rr@netaxs.com Message-ID: KZW2LWE237287.5040856482@nuther-planet.net

Reed Slatkin

The Mail Tribune from Medford, Oregon published a two-part series on January 27th and 28th on how the scandal of Scientology minister Reed Slatkin's investment club has affected businesses he invested in. "Reed Slatkin's name doesn't readily spill off tongues in the Rogue Valley. More likely it would produce blank stares. But among the investment community and those who follow Wall Street activity, the name Slatkin has become synonymous with scam and fraud in what investigators call one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in history. What he did with $593 million given to him by 800 investors over a 15-year period has been the subject of federal and private investigations. The mix of business associates, investors and victims includes Hollywood producers, directors and actors - many of whom were fellow members with Slatkin in the Church of Scientology. "It also includes Doug Neuman, an Ashland developer known for projects such as the Ashland Springs Hotel and the Lake of the Woods Resort. Bankruptcy records show that Slatkin invested $11.5 million in those and other Southern Oregon projects or properties, virtually all managed by Neuman, and all currently under the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court. "Slatkin, now 53, met Neuman while taking Scientology instruction at the Dianetics Center in Los Angeles in 1975. Neuman purchased the financially troubled Mark Antony Hotel in Ashland, poured millions into it and reopened it as the Ashland Springs Hotel in 2000. At about the same time, he purchased the Lake of the Woods Resort and again embarked on a lavish renovation. The bankruptcy documents reveal he was financially able to do that because Slatkin was providing the bulk of the money - up to 95 percent - for the Neuman-run company that purchased and managed the properties. "Nothing among the 2 million pieces of paper and thousands of gigabytes of computer documents pored over by investigators suggests that Neuman was part of any illegal activity, said John Reitman, an attorney for Los Angeles bankruptcy trustee R. Todd Neilson. Neuman's apparently clean slate has set him up for a remarkable recovery in the midst of the scandal: Barring any late changes, he will buy the 20 Oregon properties from the bankruptcy trustee for about 45 cents on the dollar. "Slatkin threw money in many directions, often without thorough research, according to investigators. His involvement in the renovation of the Mark Antony Hotel exemplified that, producing, in the trustee's estimation, a loss of up to $6 million. "Neuman still is somewhat shell-shocked at his partner's financial demise. 'When I found out about his bankruptcy and found out about all of these things, it was kind of surreal,' he said. 'I can't pass judgment, because I really don't know what happened. I'm sure some day I will.' Before the scandal bubbled to the surface, Neuman talked on the phone to Slatkin from time to time. Then things changed. 'Before, when I talked to him, he just said, there are some really difficult situations,' Neuman recalled. ' 'Doug, I can't talk to you, I'm just in the middle of an investigation,' and all of that.' "Two copies of a 1988 hand-written note were among the millions of pages scoured by investigators. The note, known to Church of Scientology members as a 'knowledge report' where Scientologists report ethical violations to their church, admitted: 'Instead of working on stocks, I was working on fabricating statements.'" "Neuman was born in New York, raised in the San Francisco Bay area and moved to Los Angeles after a brief stint at San Jose State University. In 1975, he met Slatkin when the young Church of Scientology members were taking courses at the Dianetics Center in Los Angeles. They shared a passion for tennis and became friends on and off the tennis court. Neuman and Slatkin began studying investing techniques under Scientologist Robert F. Duggan in 1981. Before long, Neuman, Slatkin, Duggan and their families all lived in Santa Barbara. "During a 15-year period, Neuman said, he invested somewhere in the vicinity of $1 million in the investment club Slatkin operated. Based on the statements from Slatkin, he thought it was a lucrative investment. 'I paid taxes all these years, based on these gains, and I can only amend three years back. That's brutal.' "Developer Chris Galpin, perhaps best known as owner of the Eagle Point Golf Course, worked with Neuman on the Pheasant Meadows subdivision and a smaller project off B Street in Ashland. He theorizes that Neuman's trusting nature worked against him in Slatkin's case. 'Doug is as straight of a shooter as you're going to find,' Galpin said 'If you're honest, you have a tendency to believe people and to trust people. 'The guy (Slatkin) looked like Class A-1, but a lot of people thought that of Enron, too.' "By 1997, Slatkin's Earthlink investment had turned to gold and he repeated his earlier interest in investing in Southern Oregon 'He said, 'Doug, like I said before, if there are some good projects I want to be involved,' Neuman recalled. Neuman had one in mind - Ashland's tallest building, built in 1925 and opened in 1927. 'I kept looking at it and I just felt that this was a real important project. It wasn't just about the money, it was about saving part of the community - trying to restore something. I just had a vision for this place and I felt that I could do it. I had a fear that they were going to turn this into maybe a low-end retirement home. It just didn't seem appropriate for right in the middle of town.' "At that point, Slatkin was at the apex of his financial career and money was no object. Neuman phoned Slatkin, who had seen the hotel in previous visits to Ashland. 'I talked to Reed and said, 'Are you willing to help me in this project?' and he said he would.' On July 13, 1998, Neuman's $1.6 million cash offer for the nine-story hotel was accepted by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Albert Radcliffe after a previous auction winner had failed to make ends meet. The Slatkin trustee's Dec. 17, 2001, report showed that remodeling cost an average of $140,000 per room. 'Based on the professional input of hotel specialists engaged by the Trustee, the value of the Hotel may not even exceed its existing $3,855,000 debt, let alone its $9.8 million cost. Thus, (Slatkin's) Estate will lose approximately $6 million due to Slatkin's lack of investment foresight.'" The Rocky Mountain News reported on February 1st that Colorado investor Kenneth Tuchman was among the victims of the Slatkin Ponzi scheme. "TeleTech founder Kenneth Tuchman counts himself among a group of unwitting investors that federal securities regulators say were swindled out of millions of dollars by a California celebrity investment guru. Tuchman is suing his investment advisory firm over the $2 million he lost in the Reed Slatkin Investment Club. The investment club's bankrupt founder, Reed Slatkin, is under criminal investigation for running an alleged $600 million Ponzi scheme. "A bankruptcy trustee's report lists Tuchman, chairman and chief executive of the Denver customer calling-center giant Teletech Holdings Inc., as one of more than 800 investors with claims against Slatkin's estate. "In the Colorado lawsuit, Tuchman claims he invested 'substantial monies' with Slatkin in early 2001, after assuming that Pell Rudman had acted on his instructions to check out Slatkin. 'Unbeknownst to Tuchman at the time, Pell called no references about Slatkin, conducted virtually no due diligence, and exercised no independent judgment regarding the advisability of investing with Slatkin,' the complaint said. Pell Rudman has yet to file a court answer to the complaint. But Holly Stein Sollod, the Holland & Hart attorney representing Pell Rudman, said her client 'had no role in choosing the investment or duty to investigate the investment.'" Message-ID: a33u6v$r35@netaxs.com Message-ID: a34kso$lr2@netaxs.com Message-ID: a3fq12$nsq@netaxs.com

Tom Padgett

Ex-Scientologist Tom Padgett reported that a report in his case recommends he be allowed to continue to see his children over the objections of his ex-wife, who is still a Scientologist. "On January 28, 2002, a Report and Recommendation was entered into the Court records in Kentucky by the Domestic Relations Commissioner permanently unrestricting visitation between Tom and Laura Padgett's minor son and his father. "The ten page report noted that Laura Padgett and her lawyer failed to prove that Tom is in any way harmful to his son, thereby making Laura's claims of him being 'unpredictable and unstable' as unfounded and erroneous. Commissioner Susan McClure supported her decision with the testimony from the son who begged the Court for a normal relationship with his dad, and the testimony of Rev. Robert T. Pardon, Director of the New England Institute of Religious Research. Pardon's testimony included the behavioral issues present from Scientologist's use of 'disconnection' as an 'informational control' vehicle used by many cults, not just Scientology. This was also supported by the testimony of Dr. Stephen Kent in the case last summer. "It was specified that the child shall be able to have normal communication with his father on a daily and weekly basis by phone and by e-mail. She recommended that their son be required to attended some counseling (psychological not dianetic) to help him sort though years of having to endure his parents' vast secular differences." Message-ID: af7713bf.0202031121.5195765e@posting.google.com


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A.r.s. Week in Review is put together by Rod Keller © This collection is organised for WWW by Andreas Heldal-Lund. Only edits done by me is replacing word encapsuled in * or _ with bold and underscore, and made links into HTML.


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