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

Volume 7, Issue 2 - April 14 2002


Andrea Yates

The Houston Chronicle reported on April 11th that Scientology's CCHR branch is helping the family of Andrea Yates, who is accused of drowning her five children, with a complaint against her psychiatrist. "The complaint alleges Dr. Mohammed Saeed, former medical director at Devereux Texas Treatment Network in League City, did not properly manage her medication and released her from the hospital when she was dangerously delusional. "'We feel that Dr. Saeed's actions of excessive, harmful treatment, and his lack of action to warn about the endangerment of the children, made him negligent in his duty to protect the children,' states the complaint signed by Yates' brothers, Brian and Andrew Kennedy, and her mother, Jutta Karin Kennedy. "The Austin chapter of the international Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a mental health watchdog group established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology, helped the family develop the complaint. Jerry Boswell, president of the Austin chapter, said the complaint does not ask specifically that criminal charges be filed, but its goal is to see Saeed charged with criminal negligence. "Yates confessed to drowning all her children in the bathtub and was convicted last month of capital murder in the deaths of three of them and sentenced to life in prison. Saeed treated her during two hospitalizations at Devereux last year and saw her twice in his office after her second discharge May 14. "The commission's review of Yates' medical records showed that upon her second admittance to Devereux on May 4, Saeed increased her dose of the antidepressant Effexor from 200 to 450 milligrams per day. According to the commission's consultants, that was well above the standard therapeutic dose of 37.5 milligrams per day, Boswell said. "But Houston psychiatrist Lucy Puryear, who specializes in women's psychiatric problems related to giving birth and who testified at Yates' trial, disagreed, noting she occasionally prescribes up to 300 milligrams per day. 'As a physician, you're allowed to use your clinical judgment and increase dosages as long as you monitor for side effects and adverse effects,' Puryear said." Message-ID: 6e7bbuoadqshuklfli0td8e0uqiqa8ln2r@4ax.com

Clearwater

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on April 9th and 14th addressed the connection between a development plan for downtown Clearwater, Florida and the domination of Scientology in that area. "Letter writer Earl M. Hoaglin is badly misinformed on every issue he discusses. Mr. Hoaglin seems to think approval of the project would have somehow diminished Scientology influence in downtown. If so, why were so many Scientologists attending the referendum meetings and speaking vigorously in favor of the project? Mr. Hoaglin clearly does not know that the city attorney acknowledged at a City Commission meeting that the city would have little or no influence over who the developers chose to sublease or transfer the lease of property to. "Still sulking because 72 percent of the voters disagreed with their grandiose plans for the bluff and bayfront, they seem to be taking satisfaction in the fact that successive concerts and now the building of the bridge have contributed to the deterioration of our bayfront park, which the people of Clearwater have voted, time and again, to preserve. - Anne McKay Garris, Clearwater" "Mrs. Garris must have received a different edition of the Times than I because she arrives at the conclusion that 'Mr. Hoaglin seems to think approval of the project would have somehow diminished Scientology influence in downtown.' How she or anyone infers this from that letter writer's text I do not know. Mr. Hoaglin wrote, 'Due to the accomplishments of the Save the Bayfront group, the only thing to do is change the name of downtown Clearwater to L. Ron Hubbard City.' "My understanding of Mr. Hoaglin's text is that due to the fear tactics of Save the Bayfront, there is no catalyst project happening today to bring droves of residents and tourists to downtown Clearwater. Therefore, we continue to see what Mr. Hoaglin calls 'Ron Hubbard City,' a downtown with the most visible street activity being performed by residents in the uniforms of Scientology. "Mrs. Garris suggests that the referendum on the downtown redevelopment plan was a Scientologist takeover plot for downtown Clearwater. She states that 'they' were 'attending the referendum meetings' and spoke 'vigorously in favor' of the plan. Many other residents did the same and as property and business owners, those Scientologists she refers to saw the many positives that the others saw. "I do believe that Scientologists welcomed the redevelopment plan because they have accumulated a number of properties downtown and it is in their best interest financially for redevelopment to happen. Their best dollar value for their properties will be the day when that group's members are a minority downtown due to a large number of tourists and residents who will be entertaining and living in downtown Clearwater as well in a varied but amalgamated and vibrant downtown. - Ric Ortega, Belleair" Message-ID: a8vofb$nt5@netaxs.com Message-ID: a9c4im$f5t@netaxs.com

Heber Jentzsch

The Associated Press reported on April 11th that Heber Jentzsch, the president of the Church of Scientology International, has been acquitted of conspiracy and fraud charges. "A Spanish court on Thursday acquitted the American leader of the Church of Scientology of conspiracy and other charges, ending a case that dated back to 1988. In December the Madrid Provincial Court had acquitted 15 members and employees of the Spanish branch of Scientology who had been charged along with church leader Rev. Heber Jentzsch. When Jentzsch did not appear for trial as it began in February, the court decided to try him separately. "The court said in December there was no evidence to support prosecutors' allegations that drug rehabilitation and other programs sponsored by the Church of Scientology in Spain amounted to illicit gatherings aimed at activities such as bilking people of money. In 1988 Jentzsch was arrested when he arrived in Madrid for a Scientology conference. He was held for 4 months before being released, but indicted in 1994." Message-ID: 28601383.0000fdcb.082@drn.newsguy.com

Help Wanted

A help wanted advertisement posted on April 8th suggests that Scientology is looking for public relations help to work on Internet issues. "Los Angeles-based PR agency seeking journalist/writer to work exclusively on the account of a not-for-profit, somewhat controversial not-for-profit association. The client is a spiritual growth/personal development-type movement. The opposition is made of disgruntled members/apostates and is very active on hate sites on the internet. "Responsibilities include monitoring the activities of defamatory, internet-based, hate-group type opposition; implementing internet and media-based strategies to expose opposition's hateful activities." Message-ID: 719ae071.0204081017.56a718f9@posting.google.com

Kirstie Alley

Star magazine reported in its April 16th issue that Scientology celebrity Kirstie Alley will not make an appearance on the TV show Frasier because of the connection to psychiatry. "Grammer wanted her to guest-star on Frasier. Alley apparently doesn't believe in psychiatry. And even if Grammer only plays a shrink on television, she still wants nothing to do with Frasier. All other Cheers cast members made, or are about to make, appearances on NBC's Frasier. "'Kirstie told Kelsey that she couldn't accept his invitation because her church, Scientology, believes it can solve all psychological problems and they look at psychiatry and psychology as competition,' a set insider said. 'She thinks her presence would show that she's giving her stamp of approval to something her church frowns upon. Kelsey just wanted Kirstie to join a few friends for a laugh. This had nothing to do with religion and everything to do with TV ratings.'" Message-ID: 16m4bu41v2pp4aact7uvf5laimcsgt2fmv@4ax.com

Freewinds

Freewinds magazine announced a schedule for a tour of Scientology orgs by the staff of the Freewinds cruise ship. "See our video. Meet our staff. Hear the wins from New OT VIIIs and other Ship service completions. "16 March - Stockholm 12 March - Phoenix, Twin Cities 30 March - Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Saint Hill UK 6 April - Salt Lake City, London 13 April - Denver, Kansas City, Paris 20 April - Boston 27 April - Dallas, Hamburg 4 May - Austria, Quebec 11 May - Houston, Ottawa, Karlshue 18 May - Halifax, Nice 25 May - Sacramento, Torino, Frankfurt 1 June - Montreal, Stuttgart 8 June - Portland, New York, Dusseldorf 15 June - New Jersey, Munich 21 June - Vancouver, Washington DC, Zurich" Message-ID: KF45W61A37356.6063888889@anonymous.poster

Xenu.net

Newsbytes reported on April 12th that Google has begun filing complaints from Scientology for alleged copyright violations on a website dedicated to documenting the chilling effects of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. "Cindy Cohn, the Legal Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and one of the developers of Chillingeffects.org, applauded Google's decision to make the letters available. 'If Google is going to do us the service of providing the cease and desist letters they receive, it's just going to make the Web site stronger,' Cohn said. "Google has also posted a page on its own Web site detailing its obligations and policies under the DMCA. 'It is our policy to respond to notices of alleged infringement that comply with the DMCA and other applicable intellectual property laws, which may include removing or disabling access to material claimed to be the subject of infringing activity,' the site says. In addition to providing instructions on how to notify Google of possible infringements, the page includes guidance for Web site operators seeking to fight infringement claims by filing counter-notifications." Message-ID: a99e93$ca@netaxs.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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